Bad Romance
by Thegumgum
Summary: The new teacher hates Natasha. Or does he? (Teacher/Student AU.) (Co-writer: sleeplessinbudapest)
1. The New Art Teacher

**New story again! Both writers regret nothing lol. Please let me know what you think about the story too.**

**Disclaimer****: Everything belong to Marvel!**

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><p><strong>1: The New Art Teacher<strong>

"Barton! You are late!"

Natasha Romanov complained to the blond-haired man who just parked his motorcycle in front of her apartment building on the Upper West Side.

"I'm never late, you're the one who is early." Came the reply from the man.

His name was Clint Barton and he was Natasha's best friend. They both only lived a few blocks away from each other. Clint and Natasha had been friends for as long as they could remember and the two were very close that people often thought they were a couple.

"Damn girl! You look really beautiful, as usual." He whistled in appreciation as he took in her appearance for the day, "I wonder what went wrong. You've never had a real boyfriend." He complimented with a sly smile.

"Your charming words can't help you today, Barton. I'm hungry! And you know I get angry when I'm hungry!" The redhead glared at him, "We need to grab my breakfast first!"

Clint smirked, "Don't worry baby, I got you your favorite sandwich." He handed her a paper bag with her favorite tuna melt.

Natasha's face lit up instantly. "Thanks!" She exclaimed, kissing his cheek in gratitude before getting on the bike with him. "Let's go now, or Mrs. Greenburg will murder us for being late."

Her best friend just chuckled and shook his head, but did as she said. Clint sped up and managed to arrive at the campus in record time. He quickly parked at his usual place and followed Natasha who was already running to their class.

They soon arrived at their classroom, which was already full of students. A tall blond man turned to them and Natasha instantly felt the intense blue eyes of the man burning her to the core.

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><p><strong><em>Earlier that morning<em>**

"Mr. Rogers, I'm so glad that you accept this job offer." Mrs. Chamberlin, Head of the Fine Arts Faculty said to the man in front of her.

Steven Rogers was a tall blond man with well-built body. Strong jawline and sharp cheekbones highlighted his handsome face, completed with a pair of deep blue eyes that could melt any woman into a pile of puddles.

"No problem, Mrs. Chamberlin. I have nothing to do anyway." Steve replied, "Perhaps teaching can help bring me a new perspective in life, so I'm glad to fill in for the time being."

And it was more or less true. Steve really had nothing to do after he had sold his business to a firm that earned him a huge amount of profit. He was rich enough to live the rest of his life without troubling anyone, especially his mother. Steve's family was already filthy rich in the first place. They owned different businesses across the country as well as overseas. His family had also been supporting the Arts Faculty in this particular campus for years. In short, the Rogers family was part of the high society and that itself made Steve an important person.

"If you could follow me then, I will show you the way to your office and classroom." The Faculty Head said and got up from her seat.

"It's okay, I think I can go to the classroom by myself, Mrs. Chamberlin."

"Many things have changed since your last visit here, Mr. Rogers."

"It's only been 7 years."

"Well, your family donated a lot of many to our faculty so we put it to good use. We built a lot of new facilities in this place."

"I'm sure my mother would be glad to hear that."

They now had come to a stop in front of a room and Mrs. Chamberlin pushed the wooden door open to reveal a spacious office for him.

"This is very nice." Steve noted, looking around the large space.

"I hope you enjoy your time here and maybe you might consider teaching here permanently." She continued, "Let's go to your class, shall we? So I can give you a proper introduction to your students."

"Please."

They walked along the hallway to Room 407, which was reserved for Senior Studio Class for Painting and Sculpting. Steve's eyes widened for the first time when he saw his old classroom had been turned into a huge auditorium, with one side for lecturing and another side served as the working station.

"There are 34 students in this class. Our finest art students are all here." Mrs. Chamberlin informed before turning to speak to the class, "Students, may I have your attention please? I have someone to introduce to you-"

"Sorry we're late!" A voice interrupted from the door.

Steve turned his head to find two people who just walked in, a guy with spiked dark blond hair and a girl with wavy shoulder-length red hair. Right away, Steve found himself mesmerized by the girl. She was without doubt one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen his entire life. His eyes took in her beauty and admired every single detail of her features. Pale skin, green eyes, red plump lips, and a body with the most enticing curves.

"Please take a seat." Mrs. Chamberlain said to the pair.

Clint pushed his best friend eagerly as the two hurried off to take their seats at the back of the class. He always loved sitting at the back of the room, only because he needed more time to sleep and he hated being the center of the teacher's attention. Every teacher in the faculty let him pass with satisfactory grades because he was an Olympic gold medalist archer. Moreover, Clint was the type who could charm his way to get what he wanted, most of the time.

But that wasn't Natasha Romanov. She was a straight-A student and on the Dean's list. She was also well on her way to become the class valedictorian. Natasha always paid her full attention in each class and any failure was simply unacceptable.

"As I was saying before Miss Romanov and Mr. Barton made their big entrance, this is Mr. Steven Rogers. He will be your teacher in replacement of Mrs. Greenburg who resigned to become a full time mother." Mrs. Chamberlin finished the introduction and allowed Steve to take over, "The floor is yours."

"Thank you." He said before turning to his students. "Alright, class. I'm here to help you with everything you need so you can graduate as a proud student from this faculty."

At the back of the class, Clint tried really hard not to fall asleep because the new teacher constantly stared at the pair who came in late.

"He's cute." Natasha whispered, "I love men in a three-piece suit."

Clint scoffed, "He is now remembering us, Nat. I'm sure he will pick on both of us."

"He doesn't seem like an art person, don't you think? He's more of an athlete guy. Look at those shoulder-to-waist ratio."

"Stop it, Nat. It sounds creepier than it should be."

His best friend didn't seem to care as she went on with her rambling, "Girls in this class will be all over him for sure."

"Miss Romanov, do we have a problem back there?" The voice startled them both and they looked up to find their new teacher regarding them with furrowed brows.

"Nothing, Mr. Rogers." Natasha hastily answered and broke eye contact with the intense blue eyes that now seemed to have the power of making her cheeks flush.

The teacher resumed his explanation, "These are very easy guides of peaceful co-existence. If you can follow all of these, we are going to do just fine."

Natasha turned to Clint again and said, "I think he can remember us both all right."

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><p>Clint and Natasha came to class earlier than the first day because Steve Rogers' primary rule for his students was to never come late to class. But now, as the two friends stood at the doorway to assert the empty class, they realized they might have arrived way too early.<p>

"I think this time we should switch to the front row seat so it can help with our reputation." Natasha suggested.

Of course Clint refused, "Nah, he already put us on his blacklist so it won't help you that much."

"Ugh.. I hate you, Clint! Why am I even friends with you in the first place?" The redhead groaned and shoved her friend playfully.

"If you two don't mind stepping aside." A smoky voice came from behind, startling the pair.

Natasha quickly turned around to see their teacher standing there. It was the first time she noticed how small she was compared to the man in front of her. He was even taller than Clint. Natasha was only 5'3" and from her visual measurement, Steve Rogers was roughly 6'2". And right now, they were merely inches away from each other and the sudden closeness made her heart beat faster.

Thankfully, Clint pulled her away from the door so the teacher could enter the room. He didn't look at her anymore but it was her turn to not be able to take her eyes off of this fine specimen. Clint dragged Natasha inside the classroom and sat down with her in the middle of the class so they at least could blend in with other students.

Meanwhile, Natasha seemed to be in her own world as her green eyes watched every movement of her teacher and observed closely how his muscles bulged and flexed when he began taking off his well-measured suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

"Do you find anything interesting, Miss Romanov?" The teacher asked without looking at her.

"Nothing, sir." She answered and quickly looked away. Clint elbowed her for making them a target again for their teacher to pick on.

The tension was quickly resolved when other students started coming in. Most of the girls were racing to take seats at the front rows so they could be near the handsome teacher.

The class began as Steve introduced them to the method of painting that they would be doing for the next class and gave them a lecture about the proper use of colors, as well as some tips to pick the perfect kind of materials. When the lecture ended, he still had thirty more minutes left before the class was over.

"So, is there anything you want to know about me?" Steve asked the class, "Yesterday I didn't get a chance to get to know my students and let them learn something about their teacher in return."

Many girls eagerly raised their hands.

"Okay, everyone, you got only one question. I will go from the front to the back of this room."

"How old are you?"

"29 years old."

"What are you wearing?" The blonde girl sitting at the front row asked excitedly and flashed Steve a seductive smile.

"I don't see how that is related to the subject I'm teaching, Miss Lorraine."

"I'm just saying, you look good in it, professor." She cooed, "Come on, you look more like a model than an artist."

Natasha rolled her eyes at the openly flirty girl, but she noticed that Steve had a smile on his face for the first time. _Of course he would flirt back._ Lorna Lorraine was one of the sexiest students, not to mention she was the star of the Arts Faculty in terms of her beauty.

But Steve's smile was pleasant and it really suited him, making him appear younger and even more handsome. Once again, Natasha found her thoughts drift off elsewhere because of this new teacher. She listened as Steve answered all the stupid questions each girl came up with while the boys just asked simple, impersonal things that wouldn't make him feel more uncomfortable than he already was.

Natasha watched him closely, observing the way his charming self captured every girl in the room, to the point that Natasha was sure that if he asked them to drop their pants, all the girls would do it for him. His attractive smile alone could melt hearts. And with those beautiful ocean-blue eyes, he was even sexier.

"Okay, the last question... Miss Romanov, you look like you have a million questions to ask." Steve addressed her but Natasha had spaced out and didn't seem to hear him.

Clint elbowed her again and Natasha blurted out the words before she could stop herself.

"Why are you so sexy?"

Everyone laughed at the question and Natasha could see from the corner of her eyes that Clint already face-palmed himself. Steve stared at the redhead with his deep blue eyes which every time made her cheeks burn, yet she didn't break eye contact with him. Steve felt himself gazing back into her beautiful green eyes.

"How should I answer that question, Miss Romanov? Maybe you can tell me." He casually replied with a playful smile.

_Sure it was lust at first sight._ But now Steve felt there was something more that drew him toward this beautiful young woman. She had somehow captured him in a way that he couldn't really explain. No woman ever had this effect on him. He had always been the one with all the control, and as far as he was concerned, women were nothing but a game to him.

"You should be honored, prof. Nat doesn't throw compliments around, especially to guys." Clint suddenly chimed in, grinning at his best friend.

It was Natasha's turn to elbow him hard, "Shut it, Barton."

"I don't mind really, Miss Romanov." Steve's voice held a teasing tone before he turned his attention back to the class, "Okay, class dismissed for today. Don't forget to bring your equipment for the next class."

Natasha hurriedly grabbed her things and ran out of the class, feeling the teacher's eyes following her until she was out of his line of sight.

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><p>Lucky for Natasha, she didn't have to come to Steve Rogers' class on Wednesday so it saved her some embarrassment. Since her class finished early today, she planned to go to the art supplies store with Clint.<p>

"I shouldn't choose this major." Clint muttered as they got out of the taxi, "I've wasted a lot of money on this shit."

"We create art, dummy. Who knows, someday both of us can sell our paintings for millions of dollars."

"Let's hope so, Red. We both know I can't keep shooting arrows my whole life." He half joked, earning a chuckle from Natasha.

They went inside the store and Natasha was about to take off her coat when someone came up from behind her and offered to help.

"Let me help you with that." The voice was smooth and she recognized it right away.

Natasha swiftly turned and came face to face with Steve Rogers. It rendered her speechless. Instantly she looked around for Clint, seeking his help, but her friend had already wandered off. _Damn it!_ She seemed to run into this guy everywhere.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Rogers?" Natasha finally asked, trying to ease the awkward tension.

"Just browsing."

"Oh okay. If you excuse me, I have to find my friend and buy some art supplies for your class." She told him in hope of ending their conversation as soon as possible.

"Do you need any help?"

"No, I think I can survive shopping, Mr. Rogers."

"Please call me Steve. We aren't in class anymore."

"Aren't you here with anyone, Steve?" She asked, "Where's your girlfriend? You have a girlfriend, right?" She didn't know why she asked him that. _Get a grip, Natasha! _

"Why are you suddenly interested in my love life, Miss Romanov?" He replied in amusement, "Many of your classmates asked me that exact same question yesterday."

"Well, I didn't listen much."

"I don't have a girlfriend, Miss Romanov." Steve said, "I'm not interested in having a girlfriend. It's never been my priority anyway. Let's just say no one has ever had my attention."

"You're a very weird man."

He smiled fondly at her comment, but then he realized how close they were standing together and took note of the clothes she was wearing. The black tight jeans accentuated her sexy legs and from his angle, the low-cut t-shirt gave him quite a view of her cleavage. _Oh-o don't you go there!_ _She's your student and you shouldn't check her out like this, Steven!_

Yet Steve knew right then and there that he was definitely attracted to her. It was frustrating for him because he didn't want to get involved with her, given that she was his student and all. It was simply inappropriate. _But dear god- she was so irresistible!_ And the way she smirked at him, it only made Steve want to kiss her senseless.

Before either one could say or do anything that would embarrass them, the owner of the store came up to Steve, "Mr. Rogers, we will deliver your art supplies to your apartment this evening."

"Thank you, Mr. Crawford." Steve said to man before turning to Natasha again, "Well, I have to go but it's nice to see you again, Miss Romanov."

He flashed her his most charming smile as he took her hand and placed a kiss on it. He left right away and Natasha just stood there flushing deep red as she watched him get into his limo.

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><p>Natasha and Clint came to class on time again so to not give another reason for their teacher to scold them. When they walked in, Steve Rogers was preparing the centerpiece that he was going to use as a model for their class that day.<p>

This time it was Natasha who dragged Clint to the farthest art station, away from their professor. Everyone in the class began to pick their stations and as always, Lorna Lorraine took the seat nearest to Steve so she could flirt with him.

"I think she would like to bang him." Clint told Natasha. _As if she hadn't already figured it out._

"I don't think he would be interested in her. He must know that the university forbids any romantic relationship between teacher and student."

"Yeah, but he doesn't have to keep teaching like this. He's super rich, judging by his fancy limo and the clothes he wears. He could just stay home and fuck anyone he wants."

Natasha gave her best friend a pointed look, "That's very disgusting, Barton."

Clint merely shrugged, "I know but it's true. A charming guy with money to burn like that always get what he wants, especially from women."

Natasha shook her head at the comment. Maybe Clint was right about Steve, but she didn't know him well enough to judge him. After all, Clint always thought of only the worst in other people. But Natasha would like to think there was more to their professor than meet the eye.

Steve began giving them instructions on how he wanted the work to be done. Everyone fell into silence save for the sound of pencils scratching on papers. Steve then walked around the room and stopped at every easel to take a look at the students' work.

Natasha personally found it rather distracting, mostly because today he was wearing a white shirt and a pair of grey slacks that fit him in all the right places. Though she did think it was too formal and not very practical for an art class where there would likely be a lot of mess.

Little did she know, she wasn't the only who got distracted. Steve found himself unconsciously looking at the beautiful redhead who was starting to take all of his focus. She herself was wearing a baggy white t-shirt that looked about two sizes bigger, and a black tank top underneath. Again it didn't help covering her cleavage.

Steve tried to avoid her as he attended to every student, leaving her and Barton the last two. He was finally done looking at Clint's work. Her friend did quite a good job even if he didn't seem to pay much attention during lectures.

"Miss Romanov." He greeted her at last.

"Mr. Rogers." She turned to him with a challenging smile, "How am I doing?"

He briefly looked at her work and answered, "Nothing to comment so far."

Steve's eyes averted to her, "It seems that Mrs. Greenburg wasn't exaggerating when she talked about your skill. She gave me a full report on her students' progress. She said you're an A student."

"Yes, I'm trying to graduate with straight A."

"Don't put your expectation too high, Miss Romanov. This is a tough class and I will not let anyone get an A unless they really deserve it. My standard is very high."

"High like your taste in clothes, isn't it?" She teased with a smirk, "You know, you can just dress like a hobo for this class instead of wearing those designer clothes."

"You seem to be very interested in my wellbeing, Miss Romanov."

"I don't want you to ruin your Gucci shirt with acrylic paint, Mr. Rogers."

"You don't have to worry, I can afford a new one." He easily replied, "And get back to work, Miss Romanov."

Natasha smirked at him again and went back to her work. But he still hadn't moved from where he stood, keeping his eyes on her the whole time. Natasha was about to tell him to go pay attention to Lorraine, but on second thought, she sort of enjoyed having him near her if only to make that girl jealous.

Time flew by and finally the class was over. Natasha began to collect her art equipment and took the paper down from the easel.

"Okay everyone, please submit your rough draft in front of my office before 3 PM tomorrow and I will give you my feedback with the approximate grade for your work."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	2. Typical Stereotype

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

**A little reminder that this story is AU so by default it will be OOC.**

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><p><strong>2: Typical Stereotype<strong>

Since he first laid eyes on Natasha Romanov, Steve just couldn't stop thinking about her. The moment he saw her walking through that door, she immediately took his breath away. Steve was sure no one had ever made him feel this way.

She was such a beautiful distraction. It was almost impossible for him to concentrate on delivering the materials in class when he kept finding his gaze drift toward the object of his affection. He loved seeing her eyes sparkled during class as she listened to him talking about art.

_No, he really shouldn't think of her this way. It just wasn't right. _But his primal male instinct got the better of him. Steve was unable to stop the burning desire that was now beginning to form inside his stomach whenever he thought of Natasha.

He wanted her bad and the realization hit him hard. _Damn it, Rogers! You had better control than this. She's your student and she's only 22. You're no longer a teenager with a raging hormone, so pull yourself together and stop lusting after the kid!_

Steve sighed as he took a sip of his whiskey. Tomorrow was Monday, which meant he would be seeing her again. He needed to do something. He had to come up with a plan to stop this madness.

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><p><strong><em>Monday<em>**

Monday came too fast for Natasha. The alarm clock went off disrupting her peaceful sleep so she decided to turn it off and continued sleeping. However, another interruption came in the form of Clint Barton who barged into her bedroom and began to viciously shake her body.

"WAKE UP, RED!" He shouted loudly.

She groaned and mumbled sleepily, "How did you get in here, Barton?"

"I've a spare key, remember? Now up!"

"Ugh... go away!"

"We have Rogers' class in one hour, Tasha!"

"SHIT"

Natasha jumped out of her bed and quickly ran into the shower. Clint was surprised to see her come back five minutes later. Her best friend, bless his heart, already prepared her clothes so she didn't have to spend another half hour deciding on what to put on. But when Natasha saw what Clint had put together for her, she wasn't at all pleased.

"What the hell did you pick for me, Clint?!" She half yelled at him, "I'm not gonna wear this and have all the guys looking at my goodie."

"I'm trying to find you a guy to date! And step one is you starting to dress up a little."

The beautiful redhead snorted, "I don't need you to be a matchmaker, Barton."

Clint sighed, "Fine... just trying to help."

"No need." Natasha replied as she tossed everything back into the closet and pulled out a pair of skinny jeans, a halter-top and her favorite leather jacket.

They headed off to class in such a hurry that Natasha forgot her breakfast. "Damn, I forgot to get my breakfast."

"We don't have time, Tasha!" Clint ignored her protest and took her hand, pulling her as they ran through the hallway.

They made it just in time but didn't manage to avoid Steve Rogers' glare when he noticed them holding hands. He then began his class by giving the students back their work from last week. Natasha was eager to receive the first of many A-s she would ace this semester. From the look on everyone's faces, they seemed to get pretty decent grades.

"Mr. Barton, you did better than I expected." Steve said as he handed back Clint's work, "And Miss Romanov..."

He provided her no other comment as he gave her back the paper. Natasha eagerly accepted it with a bright smile that quickly disappeared as she saw her grade.

_B-_

_What. The. Hell?_

She whipped her head around to ask her teacher if this was some sort of a joke but his commanding voice stopped her.

"We will discuss this after class?" And with that he turned on his heels and walked back to the front of the class.

Natasha looked over at Clint's paper and saw a comment written on how to improve his work. She could hardly believe it. Steve didn't even explain, much less write a single word about what she had done wrong.

She spent the entire time during class thinking about her grade. She just couldn't focus._ This wasn't fair._ _How could he do this?_ She knew she had done everything right, just the way he told her to. _How very humiliating! She was a straight-A student for crying out loud!_ Natasha was brooding. There was no way she would let this class ruin her perfect records. She was going to make sure of it.

"Okay, that's it for today. Tomorrow we will move on to a new type of painting."

Steve Rogers finally dismissed the class and Natasha quickly grabbed her things and went straight to him.

"Miss Romanov." He greeted.

"Can you explain this? Why did you give me B-?" The redhead was desperately trying not to raise her voice.

"Because your work is only B- for me. I expected more from you, Miss Romanov, but it looks like your work is still far from my standards." Steve replied nonchalantly.

"This is unacceptable. I'm asking you to reconsider it."

"There is nothing to reconsider. I have seen better art works from the freshmen. You see, your lines were uneven and they were quite messy. I must say it hurt my eyes."

"You're insane."

"I'm not easy to please, Miss Romanov. Try to improve the consistency of your work, especially when you use pencil for shadowing."

"Right, because you have such high standards!" She was really annoyed at this point, "It's art, professor. It's subjective opinion. You don't give standards to art because everyone has different perspectives when it comes to art!"

The teacher retaliated, "You may think you are the best, Natasha Romanov, but there is always someone better than you. You should learn to accept that."

They entered into a staring contest where neither was willing to back down. Natasha was the first to finally give up. Not bothering to hide her anger, she turned around and stormed off without saying goodbye to her teacher.

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><p>Natasha slammed the back door angrily. She was most definitely not in the right mood to do anything right now. <em>Thanks to that obnoxious teacher!<em> All she wanted to do was go home and sleep, but Clint texted her to get here at soon as possible.

She and Clint worked part-time at a coffee shop near their campus. Clint took the job first, and later convinced Natasha to join him after one of the baristas quit.

Today was a very busy day at the coffee shop as usual. The tables were mostly filled with students who were either discussing some group projects, or just talking animatedly about mundane things.

Natasha grudgingly put on her apron and went over to the register where Clint was standing. She really wanted this shift to end because she felt like she could lose it any moment and ended up smashing someone's head with a coffee mug. _Damn Steven Rogers and his stupid standards!_

"Can you believe it!? He gave me B-! Mrs. Greenburg always gave me an A, but this guy... I don't know what's going on inside his head!" She unleashed her frustration on Clint.

"Calm down, Red. It's not that bad if you think about it." Clint tried to reason, "I mean, considering he has been picking on us this whole week. We are on his blacklist."

"I can't let this happen, Clint. You know that I need to ace every A this semester. This is just unacceptable!"

"You cannot fight with him, Tasha. He's the teacher." Her best friend reminded.

"Yes, I can. I will prove that I'm the best in that class. I'm going to prove him wrong!"

Clint could only sigh. He knew Natasha was stubborn and wouldn't back down until she got what she wanted.

"Don't throw yourself in that pit, Natasha. It's not going to end well for you."

"Just because he's the teacher, it doesn't mean he has the right to judge my work. This is art, Clint. It's all about personal opinion!"

The blond man put his arm around his friend in a one-armed hug, "We'll talk about this later, okay? People are starting to queue up for their orders." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Natasha huffed in reply and went back to her station behind the espresso machine. Clint on the other hand began taking drink orders until a familiar face came into his line of sight.

There stood in front of him was none other than his new art teacher, Steve Rogers, the same person who put his best friend in such a shitty mood. Steve approached the register and only then did Clint notice the tall, blonde woman beside him. If Clint wasn't mistaken, she was Miss Monica Jones, who was also one of the art teachers.

"Barton, I didn't know you work here." Steve said when he saw him.

"Yeah well, I work here twice a week just so I can pay my debt to a Russian mob who used to own this place." Clint replied in a flat tone and Steve couldn't tell whether or not the guy was serious.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"A million dollar check would be real nice, prof." He continued with a smirk, "But for now, let me take your order."

"I'll have a cappuccino, please."

"A non-fat vanilla latte for me, thank you." Miss Jones said to Clint.

"Okay, that would be $7.50 altogether."

Steve handed him one hundred dollar bill, "Keep the change."

Clint was baffled, "Dude, it's a hundred dollar."

"Yeah, keep it."

"Okay, thanks!"

Monica went to sit at the table by the window while Steve made his way to the pick-up counter and waited for their order. He soon spotted a familiar crimson hair that could only belong to Natasha Romanov.

"Cappuccino and non-fat vanilla latte." She called out the order without looking up.

"Thank you."

The smooth voice stopped her dead in her tracks. Natasha frowned when she saw the man who put her in such bad mood. She offered no reply as she placed the coffee cups in front of him.

_Yeah, she now hated him._ Steve did expect that after what happened. Though in his defense, he had pointed out the flaws in her work but she just chose not to accept that. There really wasn't anything he could do.

Steve sat down with his date, oblivious to the fact that Natasha was watching them. She had no idea why the sight of Steve flirting with another teacher bothered her. _Well, he definitely lied about not wanting a girlfriend, _the redhead thought bitterly. _And to think that he was a man of his word!_ _Why would she care again?_ Obviously he was just like every other handsome and rich man who would sleep with every available woman.

"You look like you're plotting their murder." Clint's voice brought her out of her musing.

"Well, you're right about him. Typical rich guy who sleeps around with anyone wearing skirts."

"What makes you say that?"

"Look at them. And he said he never wanted a girlfriend! Also, have you ever seen Miss Jones with a guy before today?"

"He's a man, Natasha. That's how men operate. Most women are only their playground until they find the right one."

"And that is why I never want any man in my life."

"You have me forever, beautiful." Clint teased and Natasha let out a laugh.

"Lucky me!" Her sarcastic reply was without malice.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Tuesday <em>**

They would do another sketch today, which would then be used for painting in their next class. Natasha was really hoping to get out of this hellish hour. Art used to be her most favorite subject, but now it had turned into her absolute nightmare.

_All because of Steve Rogers._ She didn't know why the teacher was always picking on her, or why he was so keen on ruining her life with his unfair grade. Natasha had never struggled in her previous art classes, yet she now found herself fighting to get a decent grade.

Steve walked around to observe their work and gave compliments to only two people in the class. Some of the girls were really hoping to receive praise from him, especially Lorna Lorraine.

Natasha watched as the girl playfully touched Steve's arm and asked him for a little help with her work. She was trying very hard to get his attention, but he politely turned her down and made his way to the last two students he was yet to attend.

Steve went over to Clint first, nodding in approval at his work and urging him to keep it up. Meanwhile, Natasha was praying that he would just ignore her.

"Miss Romanov." _Apparently she didn't have such luck. _

"Do you want to ruin my life again?" She retorted without even looking at him.

"I've no plan to do such thing, and I believe giving a student the grade she deserved doesn't count as ruining life." He replied in a firm tone. "It's called reality and your previous work didn't deserve an A, Miss Romanov."

Natasha fisted her hand and resisted the urge to stick her pencil in his eye.

She challenged the teacher instead, "You didn't like my style of shadowing so much, why don't you actually show me how to do it, professor?!"

"Okay."

He easily moved to stand behind her before gently held her right hand. His left hand fell on her hip and her back was against his chest. His head was at her right shoulder. Their faces were very close and that alone made Natasha's hand started to involuntary tremble.

"Steady, Miss Romanov." He whispered, "Or you work will look like the last one."

"I'm trying." Her voice was weak. Steve was too close and it was way too overwhelming for Natasha.

"Relax and don't tense up. If you tense up, your hand will shake and the lines won't be consistent."

But with his hot breath in her ear, Natasha was beginning to feel her face turning red and her heart racing._ This was absolutely a very terrible idea._ She hated herself for feeling this way.

Steve continued to guide her hand and showed her the way to shadow her sketch. He marveled at how perfect Natasha fit in his arms. Her petite body was soft and she smelled so nice it was intoxicating. He really liked the feel of having her in his arms.

Soon he felt Natasha starting to relax and loosened her grip on the pencil. It took a lot of control for Steve to keep his hand steady at her hip, to not run his hands all over her body. _Well, that settled it. He definitely wanted her._ Steve never wanted anything so bad in his life and he hated wanting something he couldn't have. He knew Natasha was off-limit, and this frustrated him to no end.

He reluctantly let go of her, "I think you got it."

With that Steve walked away and Natasha was left feeling flustered, and dare she admit, disappointed.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wednesday<em>**

Steve was free today because he had no class to teach. He planned to spend the rest of the day in his penthouse, hoping to keep Natasha off of his mind. He made a mistake yesterday of touching her, allowing himself to be that close to her. His mind was now already going on overdrive. Just the thought of her made his insides burn with desire.

There was no doubt that Steve was attracted to her, but he really couldn't let his desire interfere with his work. And even though he had wanted to give her an A, her work wasn't good enough. She definitely had the skill but she still needed a lot of practice to improve her work. _She was going to flip out when she got this back tomorrow,_ Steve thought as he finished grading all the papers.

He then locked himself inside his art studio and tried not to let his mind wander again to the redhead. He was putting on a few finishing touches to his painting when someone barged into the room.

"Stevie boy!" The voice boomed, "You and I are going out tonight!"

Steve turned to the newcomer, his best friend Tony Stark. He was the only son of the famous Howard Stark and soon-to-be CEO of Stark Industries. Tony was a bit shorter than Steve, with spiked brown hair, brown eyes and well-groomed beard.

"Hey Tony, you're back."

"Yeah... try spending a week in Afghanistan, my friend. Not fun at all!" He gave Steve a hug, "I missed New York. And you know what else I missed? Strip club!"

"And you came here to drag me with you." Steve really wasn't surprised.

"Damn right, bro. Let's go!"

"Yeah, how about no? I'm busy, Stark."

At that, Tony averted his gaze to look at Steve's painting, which was of a woman with fiery red hair.

"Who's she? Did you hire a nude model?"

"Just someone I keep picturing in my head, so I'm letting it out on the portrait. She's just my imagination."

"Obviously she isn't just your imagination. You must have seen her before. She's troubling you, I can tell. She's got your attention in a way that half the women in New York have failed to do."

Tony knew he got his best friend because Steve pulled a face before ushering him out of his art studio.

"I'll go clean up. You wait out there and don't ransack my home."

He came back again fifteen minutes later, all dressed up and ready to go.

"Shall we?"

"Let's do it!"

* * *

><p>The two men walked straight into one of the most exclusive, high-end strip clubs on the Upper East Side. The bouncer at the door recognized them right away and immediately let them in.<p>

"Welcome back, Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers." He said in greeting, "Everyone missed you."

"We know." Tony grinned as he pushed Steve inside the club.

The host led them to their usual booth and took their drinks order before sending the girls over to them. But Steve simply declined the lap dance because he really wasn't in the mood. Not when he already had someone else occupying his mind.

"So, how was your new job?" Tony asked and took a sip of his scotch.

"It's great, I like it. It's quite challenging and in a way, it opens up a whole new perspective in life."

His friend scoffed, "Sounds boring."

"Yeah, you won't like it." Steve agreed, "It will be boring for you since you don't have enough patience for people who are less intelligent than you."

"Correction- I've zero tolerance for those who bother me with stupid questions."

"Yeah, right."

Tony kept on asking Steve about his new job as if he was actually interested, but Steve knew better. "Did you get a chance to sleep with any of your students yet?" _There it was._ Of course his friend would ask him that.

"It's always been one of your weird kinky sex fantasies, isn't it?" Tony continued to pry.

"No, Stark. I didn't fuck any of my students and I'm not going to."

"You know you're such a terrible liar, Rogers. You definitely have your eyes on someone, and you're plotting to get in her pants."

"I hate you for knowing me too damn well." Steve muttered.

"We've been friends for as long as I could remember." Tony reminded, "20 years to be exact."

"Yeah, I sometimes can't believe I've actually put up with your shit for that long."

"I love you too, man. And you need to get laid."

"I've had sex with too many women I don't even care to count, Tony."

"I didn't mean that. I mean you should blow off some steam, take a little advantage from being a professor."

"That's just gross."

"Don't lie to yourself, buddy. I know you well enough to know that you want it. This girl you have in your mind, she must be real hot if she could turn you into this mess."

"I'm not going to sleep with her." Steve insisted, "It's not right to get involved with my students."

"You will soon." Tony smirked and said confidently, "The thought of her will soon drive you crazy and you'll lose control in the end."

Steve refused to admit that his friend was right. _Damn Stark for knowing him too well! _

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thursday<em>**

Steve was mulling over his conversation with Tony the previous night. It did help him make up his mind about this situation with Natasha. He had made his decision.

But then he saw Natasha walking arm-in-arm with Barton to his class and his resolve was quickly replaced by jealousy. The pair giggled at their shared joke, but instantly fell into silence when they saw their professor glaring at them.

Clint dragged his friend to their usual seats and the two kept their heads down. However, Natasha could still feel the intense stare Steve was giving her.

"Morning, Mr. Rogers!" A chirpy voice broke the awkward silence.

"Morning, Miss Lorraine." Steve greeted the girl who just walked in with a smile. Natasha swore Lorraine almost fainted.

When everyone was gathered at their workstations, Steve began to walk around to return their papers. Just as he predicted, Natasha sent a murderous glare his way when she saw her grade. He knew she would be coming after him again when the class was over.

"Care to explain this?!" Natasha half yelled at him as she marched into his office after class.

_So much for avoiding her_, Steve sighed in resignation. Having Natasha near him was making him slowly lose control, and he was afraid he would end up pinning her down on the table and have his way with her. He really needed to keep his distance, but so far Natasha made it very difficult with her persistent demand concerning his 'unfair' grades.

"There is nothing to explain except your work still wasn't good enough. You should be thankful for B-, it's still better than C, which was what I originally planned on giving you."

"Are you not done ruining my life?"

"Please! There's nothing you can do, Miss Romanov. Except to improve your work and maybe, I will consider giving you B+ next time."

Natasha was pissed off. She was still glaring daggers at Steve and at the same time, weighing on her option whether to slap him or kiss him.

_WAIT! Kiss him?!_

_WHAT THE FUCK?_

The thought of kissing her teacher sent Natasha running out of his office, which Steve mistook as her admitting defeat.

_WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING, ROMANOV?_ Natasha scolded herself as she willed her heart rate to return to normal.

_Damn you, Steve Rogers!_ She silently cursed. _Now she really needed a drink_.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- **sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3****

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	3. The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

* * *

><p><strong>3: The Thin Line Between Love And Hate<strong>

After all of her Friday classes were finished, Natasha met up with Clint who would be driving her to the bus station. She was going to spend the weekend at her parents' house in Long Island and hopefully, she would be able to clear her head a little.

This past week had been absolute hell for her. And there was only one person to blame: Steve Rogers. Natasha really needed to get out of New York this weekend. If not she would explode, or even worse, she might run into Steve again.

Clint dropped her off and hugged her tightly, "See you on Monday, girl."

"You can come too, you know. My mom would love to have you with us for the weekend."

"Nah, babe. I'll enjoy my time off from being your bodyguard."

"Hah!"

They hugged once again and bid each other goodbye. Natasha got on the bus and took the window seat. She was waiting for the bus to leave when a guy came and sat next to her. The redhead ignored him and kept her gaze out of the window.

"Hey, beautiful." The guy was trying to make small talk with her, "Where are you heading?"

"None of your business." Natasha replied curtly and threw him an icy glare, "But if you bother me again I will punch you in the face."

She normally was a friendly person, but right now she just needed to be left alone. The guy seemed to get the message because he immediately got up and went to find another seat. The next person who came to sit next to Natasha was an old lady and she fell asleep soon as the bus was moving.

After almost two hours sitting in total silence and trying to clear her mind, Natasha arrived to find her father already waiting to pick her up.

"My baby girl." Alexandre Romanov greeted his daughter with a hug.

She warmly returned the embrace, "Dad, I miss you so much."

"Let's go. Your mother is making you a big welcome home dinner."

"Aww, she shouldn't!"

"What are you talking about? Of course she should. It's been almost a month since the last time you came home."

"It's only been two weeks, dad."

"We just miss you so much, honey."

Natasha just smiled in reply. _Nothing compared to coming home to your loving family!_

* * *

><p>Her mother did cook them a big dinner and most of the food were Natasha's favorites. Aliana Romanov even forced Natasha's younger brother, Victor, to also come home this weekend so the whole family could be together. Victor was a sophomore at Syracuse and a popular football player.<p>

Natasha was having a really good time with her family. They didn't go out anywhere because of the heavy snow, but her mother had come up with the idea of marshmallow campfire inside the house.

"There really is nothing better than toasted marshmallows!" Victor boomed as he stuffed the tenth marshmallow into his mouth.

Meanwhile Natasha had only had two. Despite the lovely company of her family, she felt somewhat melancholy, though she put on her happy face so not to ruin everyone's mood. Her thoughts kept drifting back to school. And when she started thinking about school, she would be reminded of Steve Rogers and his endless ways to always ruin her life.

Coming home had helped her mood a little, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking about Steve. He even visited her dream last night in the most terrifying way. Natasha dreamed he was in bed with her, and that they were both naked. _That was just so fucked up!_ _Dreaming of having sex with your own teacher and cuddling in bed afterwards._ _EW! She hated him, didn't she?!_

"My dear, are you alright?" A voice interrupted her inner monologue.

"Yeah." Natasha turned to give her mom a reassuring smile. "Why do you ask?"

"You haven't really left your room since last night so I wonder if there's something wrong."

"Nothing to worry, mom."

Aliana looked at her daughter carefully, "I know when you lie, dear."

She sighed softly, "Okay, there's this one class I'm taking this semester and the teacher is sort of an ass." Natasha complained, "It was like he's trying to make my life miserable."

"Oh my little Talia... he's probably just testing your limit, dear. Maybe you should listen to him more? After all he's your teacher." Her mom pointed out, "And perhaps he also sees something more in you, which is why he's being harder on you than anyone else."

Natasha disagreed, "I'm sure he's trying to ruin my life, mom. I tried to do better but he just didn't seem to notice it."

"Be patient, Talia." Aliana gave her girl a kiss on the temple. "But again, you are a Romanov so there's a very good chance you won't listen to me."

Natasha lightly chuckled and her mom continued, "So here's my advice, do whatever you want. Listen to him or don't. You only live once, honey, and you don't need someone else telling you whether or not you are good enough. We love you and we are proud of you, so please remember that."

She smiled in gratitude, "Thanks, mom."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Monday <em>**

Natasha arrived back in New York at 6 AM on Monday. Clint, the best friend that he was, was there to pick her up and together they went for a nice breakfast at a café not too far from campus. She still couldn't believe that he would wake up this early for her, mainly because Clint wasn't a morning person.

"You're my best girl, Nat." He told her with a playful smile.

"I better be. If I hear you use that title on other girl, I will end our friendship." She mock warned. "Unless I really like her. Then I might consider sharing the title."

"Pinky promise." The blond man winked, causing Natasha to chuckle in amusement.

Soon their food came, croque-monsieur for him and blueberry pancakes for her, and the two friends enjoyed their meals in comfortable silence. When they were done, they took their time walking to the university because it was still rather early so they didn't have to worry about being late.

They were about to reach their class when Clint spoke up, "I'll skip this class today."

"What?! Why are you skipping the class, Clint?" His best friend demanded, "Don't let me face him alone!"

"Sorry, Red. I've something else I need to do." He lightly squeezed her shoulder and promised, "I'll call you later, okay?"

"BARTON!"

But her yelling was futile because Clint kept on walking. Natasha cursed him in both English and Russian. _This was bad._ At least with Clint by her side, she didn't have to face their professor alone. Without her friend, Natasha would be an even easier target. _Well fuck._

The redhead half-heartedly walked into the class and sat quietly at her usual spot where she could avoid being in the line of sight of Steve Rogers. The teacher strode in a moment later and immediately began the lecture.

"We'll be starting with oil paint today. Then on the next class, you'll have the chance to do a rough sketch for your painting." He told the students, "Be as creative as you can because there's additional point for it."

"As for your previous assignment, I'll return it after class so you can focus on today's lesson." Steve's eyes fell on Natasha who was well aware of the message being directed at her.

Ignoring his remark, she put all of her attention to the class and listened intently. At the end of the lecture, Steve handed back their assignment as promised.

"If you have any problem, come see me in my office."

_Oh she definitely would see him in his office!_ Natasha was fuming. Steve had given her the same grade as the last time and she now had a few things to say about that. Natasha quickly followed Steve to his office and as if he was expecting her, Steve stood there holding the door to let her in.

"Thank you." She said in a sarcastic tone.

"You're welcome."

"You know why I'm here?"

"Yes. You're here to complain about your grade." The teacher replied knowingly.

"Look Mr. Rogers, I did my best and I've done everything you asked me to do, but you don't seem to appreciate my effort!"

"Your work still isn't good enough, Miss Romanov. I don't know why other teachers are praising you. You might have a creative mind, but what you gave me is still far from my highest standard." Steve continued, "Maybe you should spend more time paying attention during lectures and less time talking to your boyfriend, Mr. Barton."

"What? That's insane! And Clint isn't my- that's not the point!" Natasha protested, "The point is you're being unfair to me. I don't even know anymore what your problem is, or why you hate me so much!"

His reply was calm, "I'm a teacher, Miss Romanov. I'm fair and honest. Your work isn't that great and I suppose this is the first time someone ever told you that. You're not used to failure, but it is what it is. I don't understand why Mrs. Greenburg favored you in the past but I don't favor anyone."

Natasha was beyond furious at this point. She stared at him angrily before stomping off with a yell, "YOU ASSHOLE!"

* * *

><p>Natasha texted Clint and asked him to meet her at the bar near her apartment. She then proceeded to tell him everything that happened with Steve.<p>

"You called him what?!" Clint asked disbelievingly, eyes widening at the sudden realization, "Wow! Now we are both gonna fail this class."

"You won't fail the class, he doesn't hate you like he hates me. And no, I'm not going to fail either. I'll do anything to pass this subject."

"Perhaps we should just keep our heads down in class and not saying anything from now on."

"I will NOT go down without a proper fight, Clint! He's clearly picking on us when we've done nothing wrong!"

Clint watched as Natasha drowned her eighth shot of vodka and went on to pour another shot. He knew her too damn well. She needed to stop drinking now or she would start doing something stupid.

"You should stop, Tasha. We have class early tomorrow."

He tried to take the shot glass from her hand but Natasha hissed, "I'm not done yet, Barton!"

"Nat, don't do this." He urged, "Come on, I'll take you home."

"No! I'm not that drunk!"

"Alright, fine. But once you finish this bottle, we're going home."

"Okay, dad."

Clint left her alone to sulk. He got better things to do than listened to her rambling on and on about her grade. This had been going on for two weeks now and he prayed it would end soon, or he would lose it too. Clint loved Natasha with all his heart, but this version of her, he didn't like at all. He just wanted to see his best friend happy but he also knew it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Clint now switched his focus to the beautiful brunette across the bar and decided to go talk to her. He was about to approach the girl when Natasha's loud voice got his attention.

"BACK OFF!" She yelled at a dark-haired guy with well-trimmed moustache, "LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE!"

Clint was at her side in an instant and pushed the man away. "Keep your hands off of my friend." He warned.

The guy quickly retreated and Clint turned to his friend again, "You need to find a boyfriend ASAP." He whined, "I can't keep doing this, Tasha. I have girls waiting for me to hit on them."

"I don't need a boyfriend. I need to punch Steve Rogers!"

"A lot of guys are into you, Nat. You should have a boyfriend who can protect you in case I'm not there."

"I said I don't need one, Clint."

"How about if I set you up with a guy I know?" He suggested, "You go on a date with him and if you don't like him, I'll try harder until you find someone you like."

Natasha rolled her eyes at the proposal but she knew Clint wouldn't stop bothering her with this. "Fine."

"Thank you!" Her best friend sounded relieved. "Okay, so Wednesday night you're going on a date with him."

"WHAT? This Wednesday?"

"He has been nagging me about this for some time. He really likes you, Tasha."

She narrowed her eyes, "But if I'm not in a good mood because of Steve Rogers tomorrow, I'll cancel this date."

"Do you think we should drop this class and register again later in the summer?"

"No! I'm not delaying my graduation because of that jerk!"

Clint sighed in defeat, "Fine... whatever, Red. But we should really go home now before some random guy try to hit on you again."

She grumbled in protest but let Clint take her home anyway.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Tuesday<em>**

Natasha had a massive hangover that morning and Clint went to great trouble trying to drag her out of bed. They came to the class late and immediately received a glare from Steve. His glare soon turned into a frown as he watched Clint helping Natasha walk to their seats.

"Is she alright, Mr. Barton?" Steve asked, concerned.

"Yeah." Clint lied, "She's just having a terrible headache."

But the teacher wasn't convinced, "It looks like she has a hangover."

"No, sir. It's just a migraine."

Steve didn't ask anything again and continued on with his lecture. Natasha already spaced out and for the first time, she paid no attention to the class. After the lecture, they moved on to work at their individual workstation. Steve walked around the room to check how everyone was doing.

Natasha was currently struggling to come up with a good idea to impress her professor. _I would never get this drunk again._ She briefly closed her eyes, willing the dizziness and the hard pounding in her head to stop.

"Are you feeling alright?" The worried tone sounded genuine and Natasha slowly turned to find Steve Rogers' intense blue eyes looking at her with concern, "You look like you're about to faint."

"I'm fine, professor."

"You're lying."

She fixed him a weak glare, "I have a really bad headache and I could puke any moment now so if you don't want me to ruin your three-thousand dollars suit, stay away from me."

But Steve thoroughly ignored her warning, "You can go home if you want." He said, "You are in no condition to work, Miss Romanov."

"And what, give you a chance to give me a C? Hell no!"

This time Steve decided to back away from her and attended to other students. Still, his gaze always traveled back to her. When the class was finally over, Natasha quickly ran off to the restroom and left Clint to pack up her belongings.

"Mr. Barton!" Steve called when he saw Clint about to leave the classroom.

"Yeah?"

"If Miss Romanov can't submit her work today, she can do it after the next class." He added, "Tell her to get some rest."

"I will."

* * *

><p>Clint was able to force Natasha to go home and ordered her to sleep off the hangover. She was basically on a bed rest until Clint deemed she was well enough to walk around without hurting herself. Normally Natasha would protest, but she currently didn't have the energy to argue with him. Clint still had one class left for that day so he took off after making sure Natasha was asleep.<p>

When she woke up, it was already evening. Natasha slowly crept out of the bed and made her way to the living room. Clint was watching TV while eating Chinese takeout, but he looked up when she entered the room.

"Hey, sleepyhead." He said in greeting. "I've made you some soup. Tomato, your favorite."

"Thanks, Clint. You're the best." She flopped down next to him on the couch. "My head still hurts."

"At least you can walk straight now."

"Ha-ha"

Natasha was about to stand up and get a bowl of the tomato soup when Clint spoke again, "He was very worried about you today."

"Who?" She looked at him in confusion.

"Your beloved professor, Mr. Steve Rogers." He grinned at her. "He did sound concerned when he suggested that I bring you home after class."

If her head weren't still spinning, Natasha would have rolled her eyes. "No, he doesn't care about me. That guy hates me, Clint."

"But he asked me again when we met in the hallway, after I had taken you home. He even said you can just submit your work on Friday."

"Oh please. He's just trying to find another reason to give me a bad grade."

"Or, he truly cares about you."

"Don't say that." She cut him off, "Whatever. I'm still going to hand in my work tomorrow."

"Alright." Clint went back to eating his pork moo shu before speaking again, "Oh, don't forget you have a date tomorrow with my friend, Lance Hunter. He's Bucky's cousin. Just transferred here from Scotland."

"I've never heard of him before."

"Well, you've never met him but he's a good guy. Don't worry." Clint assured her. "Also, make sure to dress up nicely because I'm pretty certain he's gonna take you to that fancy French restaurant on Fifth Avenue."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wednesday night<em>**

Natasha couldn't care less about this date. But she already made a promise to Clint, and her best friend had been so excited to set her up with this Hunter guy. Really, she was only doing this for him.

Clint was sprawling out on her bed as he watched her pick out a dress for tonight. After some arguing, he finally approved of Natasha's choice of a simple yet elegant black strapless dress.

"You look gorgeous, sweetheart." Clint praised as he admired her reflection in the mirror.

"Enough to make the whole room turn?" Natasha asked, sounding a little unsure. "Don't want to ruin this date because I'm not pretty enough."

"You'll always be more than pretty, Nat." He said matter-of-factly, "People will break their necks just by looking at you."

Natasha smiled at him, "Thanks for the confidence boost."

"Lance will pick you up…." Clint looked at his watch, "Right about now."

The doorbell rang a moment later and Natasha went to the intercom.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Natasha. I'm Lance Hunter, friend of Clint. We have a date this evening."

"I'll be right there in a minute."

"Take all the time you need."

Clint could sense her nervousness so he went to give her a hug. "You'll be fine, Tasha. If you need me, just call."

"Thanks, Clint. I'll see you later."

She went downstairs to find a tall man with short black hair in a well-fitted grey suit already waiting for her. He turned to the sound of her high heels and Natasha was met with a dazzling pair of brown eyes.

The handsome man gave her a warm smile in greeting. "Natasha, you look beautiful." He praised with a thick Scottish accent, and then took her hand and brought it to his lips, causing Natasha to flush a little.

"Thank you."

He offered her his arm, "Shall we go?"

"Yes."

They took his town car and headed to the restaurant. It was the exact place on Fifth Avenue that Clint had predicted Lance would take her. Natasha had read a few reviews about this restaurant. It was expensive and almost impossible to make a reservation.

"It usually takes at least 6 months to get a table, if you're lucky." He said, confirming her thought. "I called in a few favors, which is why I managed to get us a reservation for tonight. I guess I just want to impress my date." He flashed her a charming smile.

She lightly chuckled, "Already impressed."

The maître d' led them to their table and several heads immediately turned as they were walking inside the restaurant.

"Why is everyone looking at us?" Natasha whispered.

"They aren't looking at us, dear." Her date replied with a proud smile, "They are admiring your beauty." The redhead blushed at that.

Once they were seated at their table and ordered, Natasha noticed a few men kept stealing glances in her direction. Luckily, Lance started a conversation with her and soon they were exchanging stories about themselves. It turned out they both shared a lot of common interests, including jazz and English literature. She began to relax and felt more comfortable as the evening progressed.

He was telling her about his time in Scotland when Natasha suddenly spotted a familiar tall silhouette out of the corner of her eyes.

Then she saw him.

Her living nightmare and the last person she would want to see right now.

Steve Rogers, looking exceptionally sharp in his dark blue suit, just walked in with a beautiful brunette who could easily be a model. Natasha's heart dropped as she observed the couple. They made a good-looking pair. _Why was this bothering her? She didn't care about whoever Steve was dating!_

Lance followed her gaze and found out why she was suddenly quiet. "Isn't that your teacher, Natasha?"

"Yeah. He's my new art teacher."

"What are you doing?" He asked again as he watched Natasha trying to cover her face.

"I don't want him to see me. I hate him, he always picks on me."

Natasha managed to avoid Steve's gaze as he and the woman were escorted to the other side of the restaurant. Lance resumed their conversation and tried to lighten her mood, but Natasha was already somewhat disheartened after seeing Steve Rogers arm-in-arm with another woman who could probably be his girlfriend.

* * *

><p>Of course, Steve had noticed Natasha as soon as he entered the restaurant. He wasn't sure how to react with her there, seeing him on a date with some woman. <em>Why would he care what she thought?<em>

Steve was trying to enjoy his date, but his eyes kept sneaking glimpses of the redhead beauty across the room. Natasha was even more beautiful tonight. He had always found her appealing in just casual wear, but the black dress she was wearing at the moment made her look incredibly stunning.

His admiration turned into a scowl when he realized she was there on a date too. _What did she even see in that guy? Was he really that interesting?_ His troubled mind was asking these different questions, yet he couldn't quite explain why he cared so much that Natasha was with another man.

He was able to make it through the meal without getting up and walking over to Natasha and snatched her away from that man. Steve stopped himself from thinking about her, but then he saw Natasha's date took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor. _Screw it. He couldn't take it anymore._

"I just saw someone I know." He told his date, "I'll go say hi to her and will be right back."

Lance and Natasha was slow dancing on the dance floor when the former suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Mind if I cut in?" Steve asked, glancing briefly at the surprised look Natasha was giving him.

But her date was still keeping his hold on her and soon the two men entered into a staring contest. Steve won in the end as Lance reluctantly let go of Natasha. The blond man immediately took her hands, pulling her closer to him as they began to sway with the song.

"Glad to see you're feeling well, Miss Romanov. You looked as if you were about to pass out yesterday."

"Yeah, I got some sleep so I feel better now."

His blue eyes locked with her green ones, "Well, you must be feeling wonderful tonight since you're on a date with a guy."

"That's none of your business."

"So, that's your boyfriend."

"Sure, I love him and we're going to get married." Natasha replied, sarcasm evident in her voice. "And you're interrupting my date, professor."

"I believe I just saved you from a boring one."

"You're wrong." She corrected, "He's interesting and funny."

"Then tell me, why did you keep checking your watch and your phone?" He questioned, "It appears to me that you can't wait to get out of here."

"I want to leave because you're here. Your presence ruined my mood."

"I'm flattered."

Natasha rolled her eyes but kept swaying with him, not minding how close they were standing at the moment, or the way other people were looking at them. She loved the feel of Steve's warm body, and his strong arms that were wrapped comfortably around her. Most of all, she loved the way he stared deeply into her eyes, as if she was the most precious thing in the world.

"You're beautiful." Even his voice sounded sexy in her ears.

"Thank you. But I believe it's just a lie if it comes out of your mouth."

Steve placed two fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Oh sweet Natasha, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life. That is not a lie."

The song came to an end and Natasha quickly untangled herself from Steve. She went straight to her table and grabbed Lance's hand, half dragging him out of the restaurant.

Steve's intense gaze followed her movement until she was out of his line of sight. He found himself already missing having her in his arms. _To hell with consequences! He must have her. _Steve made up his mind.

_Fight for whatever you want in life, Steven. It's the only way you'll survive in this world._ That was what his mother taught him since he was a little kid.

And now there was only one thing his heart wanted. _Natasha Romanov._

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- **sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3****

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	4. Loose Cannon

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

**Also listen to 'Crazy in love' by Sofia Karlburg while reading this chapter too.**

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><p><strong><span>4: Loose Cannon<span>**

**_Thursday_**

Natasha came to the class early to make up for when she had been late the last time, thanks to her hangover. She was going to avoid Steve Rogers as much as she could from now on. Last night was proof that Steve could use his charm on her and Natasha wasn't about to let it happen again.

She sat at the back of the room with Clint, trying hard to concentrate on the lecture instead of the wonderful feeling of Steve's strong arms around her body. _Damn it, Romanov!_ _She shouldn't have danced with him last night. She shouldn't have let him touch her._ Natasha could still remember the warmth radiating off of Steve's body and the thought alone made her stomach flutter. He even visited her dream last night. _Again._ They were lying together in bed, naked. _Again. _Natasha felt flustered every time this image of Steve came up in her mind, but she just couldn't do anything to stop it. _How could she possibly think of him this way?_

Luckily, the class moved on to the workstations and they were given a new project to work on because the previous one had turned out to be a total disaster. Steve told the class that none of the students did well on the last assignment. The best one was B- by, surprisingly, Lorna Lorraine.

"You can pick up your Tuesday's work at my office, and submit today's work before 3 PM." Steve informed when the class was over, "If anyone has any complaint about their grade, leave your contact details with Mrs. Jackson and I'll try to contact you as soon as possible."

Natasha went to Steve's office to retrieve her Tuesday's work after class. She began to dig into the huge pile of papers until she found her work.

_C+_

_WHAT THE FUCK?!_

That was it. This was the last straw. She would take none of this shit he was giving her anymore. _What had she ever done to make him hate her so much?_

_C+, really?! _

_THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!_

Natasha furiously rummaged through the pile of papers again to find Clint's work. Her friend also got a C+ and it appeared that the average grade for their class was only C. She opened the door to Steve's office but no one was there, so she stormed off to the faculty lounge.

The faculty coordinator, Mrs. Jackson, seemed to be expecting her. "Miss Romanov?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Rogers left this. It's his phone number in case you need to talk about your assignment."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson."

Natasha had to wait until her afternoon class was over before she could call him. The moment she walked out of her last subject of the day, she immediately dialed his number.

"This is Steve Rogers." The voice on the other end answered.

"Where the hell are you?" She screeched, "I'm supposed to submit my work to you!"

"Oh, Miss Romanov, I'm terribly sorry. I've an important thing to do. You can leave your work in front of my office."

"I'm not allowing you to have another reason to give me a poor grade. I'm going to personally hand in my work to you!"

"Alright, I will text you my address."

"What? Do you want me to go to your house?"

"Like I say, Miss Romanov, I'm in the middle of something right now and if you don't want to come here, you can submit your work at my office."

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Natasha took a cab to his apartment on the Upper East Side. The doorman let her in and guided her to the private elevator leading to the penthouse of the building. She felt her heart racing and her grip on the poster tube tightened. <em>The moment of truth. She had to confront him once and for all. She wasn't gonna wait until she failed this subject. It was now or never. <em>

The elevator opened at the top floor and her jaw dropped when she saw the place. It was a modern style duplex penthouse with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the city of Manhattan and Central Park. The interior was decorated with contemporary high-end furniture as well as the finest collections of art.

"Miss Romanov?"

Natasha turned to the voice and found Steve Rogers standing in the living room with a painting that he was trying to put up on the wall.

"Is that Monet?" She asked, instantly fascinated by the magnificence of the artwork.

"Yes it is."

Her eyes widened and she walked toward the masterpiece before realizing that she came here for a completely different reason.

"What is so urgent that you can't be there when your student wants to submit their work?"

"I have to deal with this beautiful art."

"I came here to submit my work and I need an explanation from you about my C+."

"Oh, about that. Your last work, and I have to use this specific word, suck." He explained, "You got everything wrong. I think I did tell Mr. Barton that you could have just submitted that assignment today because you were sick."

"I don't have to submit my work late because I'm fully capable of finishing my work on time. Sick or not!" Now he was making her angry again.

"Well, you clearly are not. Even on your best day, you were only able to give me your B+ work."

Natasha was on the verge of punching him in the face when another thought occurred, "Don't tell me this is about last night."

"What?"

"My date with my boyfriend."

As soon as she uttered the word 'boyfriend', Steve's demeanor immediately changed. Natasha didn't miss the way he tensed up for a brief moment as he set down the painting and turned to look at her. The usual playful sparkles in his bright blue eyes were now replaced by something akin to jealousy.

"So he's really your boyfriend." Steve's voice was deep and dangerous.

"No, no he's not. I'm just messing with you. He's just a guy Clint set me up with, and why do I need to explain this to you?" Natasha sighed, "What am I even doing here? This is a waste of time."

"I'm sure you have a reason for coming here, Miss Romanov. You must want something from me, otherwise you wouldn't have come to the place of someone you barely know."

"You told me to come here and talk to you!" Natasha yelled angrily, "What are you accusing me of?"

"Miss Romanov, are you trying to buy your grade by having sex with me?"

Steve knew it was a low blow but he couldn't help it. He didn't expect Natasha to deliver on her words and came to his apartment. But now she was here and Steve felt his burning desire for her return in full force. She was driving him crazy.

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure. After all, I have to make extra effort because you don't like me and always pick on me." She replied in a sarcastic tone. "No, I didn't come here to have sex with you, you psycho! I don't need to have sex with you to get an A."

"I never said I didn't like you, Natasha." Steve was slowly walking to her until he was standing mere inches from her petite form, "On the contrary, I'm pretty sure it's a much stronger feeling than that."

Natasha was so busy shouting at him that she didn't notice the fire in his eyes, "Then why do you keep doing this to me?! My life depends on this grade and you are clearly trying to ruin it in every way you can!"

"Allow me to demonstrate."

Both of his hands cupped each side of her face and Steve kissed her hard. Natasha froze at the spot. She felt his lips moving against hers and his tongue lightly ghosted over her lips. Then his hands trailed down to her waist and he pulled her body closer. All rational thoughts left Natasha as she melted in Steve's arms. She kissed him back with equal fervor, opening her mouth for him to explore.

She had been kissed by a few guys in her life but never like this. Nothing could come close to the intensity of his kiss that quickly set her body on fire. The poster tube she was holding fell on the floor as Natasha threw her arms around Steve's neck and leaned into his body.

_So is this what she wanted?_ Natasha asked herself as she pulled away. Steve, however, didn't stop and moved on to kiss her neck. His lips sucked hard on her pulse point, eliciting a beautiful moan from her lips, which only made him sucked harder. His hands behind her neck tilted her head up to allow for easier access to her soft skin. Her moan grew louder as his teeth scraped along her collarbone and jugular. Her right hand threaded at his blond locks while the left one gripped his shirt tight.

Natasha pulled his head away from her neck and looked into the blue eyes that were burning with passion. Steve growled in protest but tried to calm himself so he could read her expression. A mixture of desire and confusion adorned her lovely face, but her hazel eyes most notably reflected apprehension.

"You've never done this before?" He questioned as realization hit.

She slowly shook her head, "If we do it, it will be my first time."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Steve asked again, "We can put an end to this right now if you want... because if you let me take you upstairs, it means I have your full consent to do anything I want with you."

He had to sort of threaten her. He had to make sure that she wanted this- _wanted him_. He wouldn't force her to do anything that she didn't want. Though he prayed she wasn't going to walk away from him. _Not now._ _Not when he could clearly see the same fire burning in her eyes._

A million thoughts seemed to be running through her mind before she finally decided, "I've come this far. I can't go back."

"Are you sure? I won't force you to do anything, Natasha. It's your first time, so it should be with someone special."

"I'm sure."

He nodded and offered her his hand. Natasha took it and he led her to his bedroom. Once the door closed behind them, Steve pulled her back in his arms and kissed her hungrily. There was no holding back this time. She returned the kiss with just as much passion. His hands quickly removed her jacket then moved on to her jeans. She helped him shrugged them off but he lost patience and ripped her t-shirt off of her body.

"You're so hot." He grunted against her neck and took a sharp bite of her silky skin, earning a cry of pleasure from her.

"Natasha…"

Natasha secretly loved the way her name sounded so sexy when it fell from his lips. She involuntarily ground her hips against his, feeling his erection pressed to her center, and Steve let out a growl.

"I want you…" He whispered, "I need you so bad."

"Steve…" She panted, encouraging him to continue with his exploration.

His lips ghosted all over her skin, leaving red marks along the way. Natasha's hands went to his belt and got rid off his pants in one swift movement. His shirt came off next, revealing his smooth, chiseled chest. Steve lifted her up and carried her to the bed. He gently placed her on the white comforter, careful not to crush her with his weight.

Then he began to slowly explore every inch of her body with his lips and used his hands to ground her in place. Natasha moaned and squirmed under his reverent touch. She never thought it would feel this good. Or that he could be this gentle. Steve moved on to remove her bra and panties, his hand closing on her breast and teasing her nipple. She cried out again when he started to suck hard on her other nipple.

She whimpered in pleasure and he took his time torturing her until her fingernails started to dig into his flesh. Just when she thought things couldn't get more intense, Steve put his mouth on her folds and let his tongue explore her clit, licking the sensitive bud. Natasha screamed loudly as Steve continued to lick and suck, occasionally looking up from his place between her legs to see her expression.

"Don't hold back, Natasha. No one can hear you except me." He took the little bud between his teeth, receiving another sharp cry from her.

"I love it when you scream my name." He groaned, "God, you're soaking wet."

"Please stop talking like that."

"I thought you were enjoying it."

"I hate how much I enjoy whatever you are doing to me."

She felt his lips twitch up in a smirk as he vigorously worked her harder with his tongue. Natasha screamed out his name again and Steve could see that she was close. Then he felt a little tug on his hair and Natasha pulled his head up. Steve saw hesitation in her eyes.

"Please stop, professor." She panted as she looked down between her legs, "I feel funny."

She had no idea it would be this much. The feeling of Steve's mouth on her, the intensity of it all. She felt like she was going to explode. He ignored her request and continued to lick her clit, feeling Natasha shudder. Steve looked up and pulled away a little, and Natasha immediately regretted telling him to stop.

He smiled from between her legs, "What did I tell you to call me, hmm?"

"Steve…" She lifted her hips up to urge him but his hands kept her in place.

"What?" He playfully nibbled on her inner thigh.

"Steve!" Natasha cried out, desperately wanting him to put his mouth back on her core.

"Good girl." He praised before dipping his head back, but he kept his eyes fixed on her, "So do you really want me to stop and leave you alone?"

"Please don't."

He snickered and resumed to pleasure her with his tongue. Natasha screamed his name again as her orgasm took over and Steve could feel a warm gush coming out of her body. He swallowed every drop of her and Natasha softly whimpered as she came down from her high.

Steve crawled back up and used his arms to support his weight, blue eyes looking into her half-lidded green orbs, "Good?"

"Yes..."

Her brain had now stopped working and her voice was rough. Steve chuckled and kissed her lovingly on those plump lips he couldn't get enough of. Natasha could taste herself on his lips and it made her even more turned on. Closing her eyes, she relished the amazing feeling of being in his arms.

"Don't fall asleep yet, sweetheart." He whispered, "We're only half way done."

"I'm not falling asleep." She weakly countered, "I just need time to catch my breath."

"Okay."

He got off of her and moved away from the bed, silently pleased when he saw the worried look on Natasha's face.

She opened her mouth to say something but Steve spoke up first, "I'm going to get us some water. I'll be back in a minute."

He walked out of the room and went to the kitchen. It was really hard to leave her lying naked on his bed like that, especially when he didn't get his own release yet. His cock was painfully arched in the confinement of his boxer. But Steve knew he had to take a very good care of Natasha, to let her know that she could trust herself with him.

He came back a moment later carrying a jug filled with ice water and two glasses. He poured one for her first.

"Thank you." She said and took a sip of the cool liquid.

"You have one more chance to walk out from this." Steve offered, "I'm giving you one last chance because I plan to spend the rest of the night making you scream until we both have no more strength to move our limbs."

Natasha gave him a playful smirk and Steve knew he had his answer, "Why, are you feeling a bit sleepy, professor?"

He chuckled, "You little minx."

Steve set their glasses down and climbed back on top of her. He positioned himself between her legs and brought his hand to her center, checking whether or not she was ready for him because he didn't want to hurt her. What he found was really satisfying as she was still wet from her recent orgasm.

Natasha sat up and helped him pull off his boxer, revealing his large erection. Fear flashed through her eyes for a second but it quickly disappeared. He watched her reaction, curious to see what she would do next. Slowly, she raised her trembling hand to his cock and wrapped her fingers around his length. Steve groaned aloud when she began to stroke along his thick shaft. With a deep growl, he shoved her back down on the bed and positioned his cock at her entrance.

"Relax, Natasha. I will make you feel good." Steve said when he saw her hands clutched on the bed sheet.

She looked up at him, "Is it going to hurt?"

"At first. But when your body begins to adjust, you will enjoy it." He didn't bother to lie because she had to know the truth. "Now I need you to relax, baby. I'm going to make you feel so good that you will forget the pain."

"Please be gentle." Natasha whispered, looking scared.

"Don't worry, Natasha. I will be gentle." He replied with a smile and nuzzled her neck, pressing his lips on the soft skin. "Don't tense up, babe, or else it will hurt."

He kissed her neck and his hand went down to palm her breast. When he felt Natasha begin to relax, he slowly pushed himself inside her. His baby blues watched her reaction closely and Natasha stared back up at him with her beautiful green eyes.

"Natasha, you are unbelievably tight." He groaned, "God, you are so perfect... Natasha..."

She moaned in reply, "You are so big inside me..."

"I will stretch you up real good, beautiful."

He slowly thrust in and felt the pleasing burn traveling up to his spine. He never had a chance with a virgin before and it felt so good. It was really hard to stop and he had to fight off all his primal instinct that screamed for him to fuck her senseless. Steve kissed her again to calm himself down. He was halfway inside her when Natasha started writhing and bucking her hips. Her voice turned hoarse as she cried out his name, urging him to push himself further inside her.

He did as she said and slammed all the way inside her wet hot center. Both of them screamed as pure pleasure took over. Steve swore he could see stars as her tight walls convulsed around him. Natasha hardly felt any pain, but Steve's intense blue eyes looked at her with worry.

"Feel good, Natasha?"

"Yes… Oh, Steve... don't stop."

Natasha didn't know what had gotten into her. But this moment, this wonderful sensation she experienced was nothing like she ever imagined. _Perhaps this would finally satisfy her curiosity and she could then stop thinking about him._

Steve pulled himself out a little and slammed back in. Natasha grabbed on to his biceps as his hard cock continued to move in and out of her body, hitting the right spot each time. She wrapped her legs around his waist to allow him go deeper inside her. They both moaned loudly and Steve picked up his pace, feeling their orgasm was close. Their bodies were on fire, sweats running down, and Natasha's fingernails raking his back that it would surely leave red marks on his skin.

"Steve… I, I can't take it anymore..."

"We're close now, baby." His thrusts grew more frantic as she continuously whimpered from underneath him.

"I... I think I'm gonna…"

"Yes, Natasha. Come for me." He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Come for me now, darling."

And came she did. They were both shouting each other's name as their orgasm took over. Natasha was coming hard and her walls convulsed, pulling Steve over the edge with her. He spilled his hot load inside her and she milked every last drop. He crushed their lips together, kissing her passionately as he rolled his hips and kept on fucking her through their orgasm.

Steve pulled out a moment later, both of them were still panting and trying to get as much oxygen back into their lungs. Natasha quietly whined at the loss and he simply grinned at her, giving her another kiss. Her arms came to wrap around his neck as she deepened the kiss. When he pulled away, he saw her first happy smile since they knew each other.

"Thank you." She murmured, her eyes fluttered shut.

"Anything for you, beautiful."

"I'm not beautiful, I'm a sweaty mess."

Steve gave a low chuckle and kissed her gently on the lips. "Sleep now, Natasha." He said and went to lie down next to her.

"No, we have to talk about this…." She mumbled sleepily.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow." He assured, kissing her forehead and enveloping her in his arms. She immediately snuggled closer and rested her head on his chest.

"Promise…"

But Natasha already dozed off before Steve could utter a reply. Pressing another kiss at the top of her head, he whispered, "Good night, Natasha."

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><p><strong>AN: HOW WAS THEIR FIRST TIME? LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK :)<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- **sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3****

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	5. The Right Thing To Do

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

**Warning: This story is no longer smut free.**

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><p><strong><span>5: The Right Thing To Do<span>**

Steve couldn't sleep.

He spent a better half of the night silently watching Natasha who was sleeping soundly in his arms. She looked so young in her sleep, calm and peaceful.

He felt a wave of emotions as he recalled their passionate encounter just a few hours ago. He never thought it would feel so good... and so right. He never imagined he would need someone this much. There were still so many things he would love to do to her, and with her, but he needed to think of Natasha too. It was her first time and he didn't want to put too much pressure on her.

Now here she was, safe and secure in his embrace, and Steve's heart swelled at the sight of her serene face. In the short amount of time they knew each other, Natasha had easily charmed her way into his life and managed to do the one thing that none of the women in his high society circle was able to do, which was to capture Steve Rogers' heart. She haunted his dreams and drowned out his thoughts more often than he cared to admit.

_God! Why she had to be 7 years younger than him? And more importantly, why she had to be his student?! Why did he want her so much he could barely control himself?_

Despite his conflicted morale, Steve found that he was starting to love the feeling of being with Natasha. He could see himself do this every day and every night. He knew he would never get tired of having Natasha in his arms, and in his bed.

He was playing with fire here, but he would take his chances and fight for what he wanted most.

Steve Rogers wanted Natasha Romanov and he was going to do everything he could to keep her.

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><p>The beautiful redhead woke up to a bright ray of sunshine shining through the bedroom window. She slowly rolled over to the other side of the bed to avoid the sunlight and found that it was empty. The man she fell asleep with was nowhere to be seen. The coolness of the bed meant Steve had left for some time and Natasha inwardly grimaced at the thought of him leaving her without any note whatsoever.<p>

Still, last night was truly amazing and Natasha felt herself blushing at the memory.

She got up from the bed and looked for something she could wear. Her t-shirt was useless because Steve had ripped it off last night. She found his shirt and decided to put it on, marveling at how incredibly comfortable it felt on her. She couldn't find her jeans or her panties, so Steve's shirt would just have to suffice for now.

Natasha quietly padded downstairs, her movement slow because she was still a bit sore from last night. When she entered the kitchen, there was a tray of breakfast on the countertop with a small note, _'Your breakfast, Natasha'_.

Smiling to herself, Natasha wondered if Steve knew that she loved blueberry pancakes, or if it was just his lucky guess. The smell of newly brewed coffee was enticing, even if she was more of a tea person. And to top it off, a vase of freshly cut white lilies completed the breakfast ensemble. _But why white lilies?_

She briefly thought about his choice of flower while pouring herself a cup of coffee when she felt a strong pair of arms circled around her waist, pulling her to the warm body behind her.

"Morning." Steve's sexy voice sounded in her ear, followed by his lips kissing her neck.

"Morning." She replied, leaning back into his body. "Thank you for this."

"You're welcome."

"But for your information, I'm more of a tea person, professor."

"Noted, Miss Romanov."

"Where have you been? I couldn't find you when I woke up."

"Gym." Natasha almost shrieked away from him but Steve held her tighter, "I already took a shower."

Her laugh was melodic, "Good. I don't need your sweat on me this early in the morning."

Grinning mischievously, he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "I thought you like it since you couldn't seem to let go of my sweaty body last night."

He lightly nibbled on her earlobe and she shivered, "By the way, you're so freaking hot wearing my shirt." It was the truth. The moment he saw Natasha wearing his shirt, his body reacted instantly. It was such a turn on seeing her wrapped in something that was his.

Steve gently set her coffee mug down on the counter. Then his left hand deliberately moved up to squeeze her breast and played with her nipple through the soft fabric of his shirt. Natasha let out a quiet moan when his right hand travelled up her leg and disappeared under the shirt to find she was wearing nothing underneath. Steve groaned against the skin of her neck. _He was losing control again._

He turned her around and kissed her hard on the lips. Natasha could feel his arousal as he continued to devour her mouth. Steve's bare torso pressed hard against her chest, igniting the desire within her. He lifted her up on the kitchen counter and nudged her legs apart.

Natasha pulled away but Steve quickly went to seal their lips again so she stopped him, "Wait, we have to talk about this."

"After this, we will."

Any further protests died in her throat when Steve slipped two fingers inside her core and discovered that she was already wet. Natasha moaned aloud, hands gripping his shoulders as Steve put his lips back on her neck and sucked hard. His morning stubble was tickling her skin and it turned her on even more. Then he abruptly withdrew his fingers from inside her, earning a growl from Natasha. Steve silenced her with another searing kiss as his hands worked quickly to unbutton the shirt, revealing her ample cleavage. With a grunt, he pulled down his sweatpants and stroked himself twice before entering her wet heat.

Natasha's lips parted in a silent scream that was soon replaced by a demanding kiss from Steve. He slowly pushed himself further inside her, mindful of how tight she was. Their kiss became more desperate as Steve began to move his hips. Natasha spread her legs wider to let him go deeper inside her.

"Steve…." She repeated his name like a mantra as he pounded harder into her, "Oh God... Steve... don't stop."

"Wasn't planning to." He muttered against the skin of her neck.

Her nails dug into his skin as they fucked, leaving crescent marks along his back. His hands gripped tight at her hips and his lips never left her skin. Steve was lost in lust and blissful pleasure that was Natasha. _It had never been this good. _Only she had this effect on him. And seeing Natasha in his shirt fueled his desire even more and it only made Steve ravish her harder.

Her walls began to tighten around his cock and he groaned. They were both so close. Steve screamed her name as he emptied himself inside her. He went still, bracing himself on the kitchen counter as his hot cum continued to flow out of his body and into Natasha's. She hadn't come yet so he used his fingers to rub vigorously at her clit while moving in and out of her again.

"STEVE! OH GOD YES!" Natasha shouted out as she came hard and fast.

They were both panting, unable to move or say anything. Then Steve pulled out of her and gave her a loving kiss, which Natasha returned with the same passion.

"No one ever looks as good as you in my shirt." He murmured against her lips, "You're perfect."

Natasha felt her cheeks flush deep red under Steve's intense gaze. He slid the shirt off of her and reveled in the view of her naked body. There was something in his eyes that made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Natasha could feel her body starting to burn up again with desire. Steve growled and swooped her up in his arms, kissing her hungrily over and over again.

He carried her naked body to the shower without breaking the kiss. Natasha clung tight to him, not trusting her wobbly legs to support her weight. Steve wrapped his huge arm securely around her waist and used his other hand to turn on the shower. He then began to clean them both, his hands delicately rubbing all over her body and his blue eyes locked on her the whole time.

Natasha felt so fragile, yet so cherished under his touch. _How did it come this far? How did her body end up losing all control that she was willing to give up everything to him? Why did he have so much power over her?_

Steve could see that Natasha was in deep thought. He knew she had a lot to think about. Once they finished cleaning up, he handed her a towel and then got another one for himself before wrapping it around his hips.

"I'll be waiting outside." He pecked her lips one last time and stepped out of the bathroom to give her some privacy.

* * *

><p>Natasha stared at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. <em>So <em>_you ended up trading sex for grade, huh?_ She looked down at her body and her eyes widened at the amount of hickeys marring her skin from the neck down to her inner thighs. _How did he put those in there? Oh, that's right, it was when he went down on her last night. That was amazing._

"Shit…." Natasha muttered and sat down on the edge of the marble bathtub. "Shit... shit… shit!" _What had she done?_

She needed to rethink her decision last night, and again this morning. This was just wrong. No matter how incredible it felt, or how much she wanted him, Steve was still his teacher. They weren't supposed to be involved with each other. _Damn it, Natasha!_

"Hey, I left some clothes for you on the bed." Steve's voice sounded from the other side of the door, "Are you alright? You've been there for a long time."

"I'm fine." She tried to assure him, but the shaking in her voice betrayed her.

"Natasha, you don't sound fine at all."

"Just give me a few more minutes."

"Okay..." He replied hesitantly, "You can call me if you need anything."

Natasha didn't answer and she heard Steve sigh before walking away from the door. She sat down on the floor and hugged her knees as she thought about her current predicament. There was no doubt she wanted this, wanted him. Whatever this feeling was, it was nothing like she ever felt. _What was she supposed to do? _

Taking a deep breath, Natasha got up from the bathroom floor and opened the door. Steve wasn't in the bedroom, but she saw the pile of clothes on the bed. She had to wear his shirt again because her t-shirt was completely ruined during their heated moment the night before.

She walked out of the room, having made up her mind. _She had to do this. It was the right thing to do._

"Hey, what took you so long?" Steve asked the moment Natasha appeared in the living room.

"Nothing. I just…." She wasn't sure how to tell him, "I just… feel a bit sore."

He softly smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

Natasha closed her eyes and took another deep breath. _She had to do this_.

"Listen, Steve... just pretend this never happened, okay?" She blurted out and immediately saw Steve's shocked expression. "We should have never... This is a mistake, Steve."

"Natasha, it's not a mistake..." He tried to explain but she interrupted him again.

"I didn't come here to have sex with you for my grade. God! What have I done?! You are my teacher for god's sake!"

"It's not a mistake. I want you as much you want me, Natasha. Last night was just proof of that."

"No, this is wrong. We shouldn't do this."

Steve reached his hand out to try and calm her but Natasha recoiled, "Leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with you ever again. This is a mistake."

He submitted to her demand, slowly backing away from her, "Car is waiting for you downstairs. David will take you anywhere you want."

"Thank you."

"But remember one thing, Natasha, this isn't a mistake and I don't regret any of it."

She hastily grabbed her things and left his penthouse without giving another glance in his direction.

* * *

><p>Natasha gave Steve's chauffeur, David the address to her apartment. She had texted Clint on the way to meet her there. When she arrived, her best friend was already waiting inside the apartment.<p>

"What are you wearing, Nat?" Clint asked when he saw the oversized shirt she was wearing.

"My t-shirt was ripped. This is his shirt." Natasha replied absently as she dropped all of her belongings on the floor.

Clint swiftly got up from the couch and walked over to her, "Whose shirt? What are you talking about? Where did you go last night?" Then he noticed the purple marks on her neck, "Fuck! Are those hickeys?"

"Yes! That's what I want to talk to you about!" She cried out, "I had sex with someone last night!"

Clint's eyes widened for a second and then he was grinning at her. "Wow!" He exclaimed, "Congrats, Tasha! You finally did it like any normal human being. This calls for a celebration, I think—"

He stopped talking when he saw the terrified look in her eyes, "What is it?"

"The guy I had sex with and lost my virginity to is... Steve Rogers."

"WHAT?!" Clint hollered, "Did he rape you or something?" His stormy blue-grey eyes were blazing with anger.

"No! No, we both agreed to it and…and…. I just…. I don't know!" Natasha was pacing back and forth as she struggled to form an explanation, "It's terrifying how much I want him, Clint, and this is bad. I know I was supposed to hate him, but I just couldn't say no to him last night..."

He narrowed his eyes, "How many times did you have sex with him?"

"Twice. Last night and this morning."

"Please tell me you weren't trading sex for grade."

"You know me better than that, Barton."

"Okay, just checking."

Clint seemed to have calmed down a little and Natasha gave him a small smile, even if she was still freaking out.

"So, why are you freaking out when you obviously want him?"

"I really don't know, Clint!" She ranted, "I just can't seem to control myself when I'm around him, it's ridiculous... and...and it's scary how much I want and enjoy being with him." Natasha finally looked at her friend, "So I decided to leave before things get out of control and I end up falling deeper for him."

Clint approached her and hugged her tight, "That's the right thing to do, Tasha. And as your best friend, I'm begging you, please never do it again, okay? It's wrong and it can jeopardize your whole life."

She muffled a reply, "Okay."

"That's my girl." He smiled and kissed her forehead, "Have you eaten anything yet? I can fix you something to eat."

"Sure, some pancakes and bacon would be real nice."

"You got it."

* * *

><p>Steve hadn't moved from where he stood as he watched Natasha walk away. Everything ended as fast as it began. He thought she wanted the same thing, but apparently he was wrong.<p>

Natasha was probably right about some things. They shouldn't have had sex, it was wrong. _But why didn't he feel even remotely guilty about it?_ On the contrary, it left him wanting more. _He wanted her more._ Steve needed Natasha back in his arms and he wasn't going to give up without a fight. _So you finally found the one, huh? But really, your own student? Damn it!_

His eyes wandered around the living room and saw Natasha's black poster tube lying on the floor next to his Monet. _She must have dropped it and forgot to take it with her._ Steve gently pulled her work out and looked at it carefully. _Well, this one was way better than her previous work. It was definitely a B+._ He could clearly see some improvement in her work, including the consistency and the technique she used. He wrote down her grade and his comment on a paper before put it back in the tube along with her work.

_He needed to do something about this whole Natasha situation. The question was what?_

"You look lost, Rogers."

The voice belonged to his friend, Tony Stark, who casually walked into his apartment and was now leaning against the kitchen counter, stealing a couple blueberries from the breakfast plate and taking a small bite of the pancakes. _The breakfast Steve had made for Natasha and she didn't even get a chance to taste it. _

"Damn, you make really good pancakes!" Tony said through a mouthful of Steve's blueberry pancakes.

Steve put Natasha's poster tube on the coffee table and walked over to his friend, "What are you doing here, Tony?"

"Just checking on you. You didn't return my calls last night. And my friend, you just missed out on one of the best parties of all time." Tony babbled until he noticed something about Steve, "Holy fuck! You had some fun last night, huh? Who is she? Man, she left some marks on your body!"

"It's not…." Steve corrected but then realized Tony wouldn't believe him anyway so he decided to tell him the truth, "You know what, it's actually good that you're here because I have something to talk to you."

His friend instantly perked up, "About the woman?"

Steve nodded, "I kinda really like her, but she ended it this morning and told me she didn't want anything to do with me ever again." He continued, "I know that we want the same thing. She's just too stubborn to admit it."

"So you want me to help you win her back?"

"Yes."

"Make her jealous."

Steve gave him an incredulous look, "That is the stupidest idea ever."

"But it will work, just trust me on this." Tony said, "It's gonna attract a lot of attention, but if she does feel the same way as you, she'll come to you."

"I think I'll just go and convince her." Steve replied, ignoring the advice, "This is a very delicate subject. I don't want to make it look like I only want her for sex."

"I'm going to assume the sex is really mind-blowing that you want to hit it again." The billionaire quirked his brows up, "Did you already fuck her?"

"I plan to keep her for a very long time, Tony." Steve looked at his friend, "And we already had sex on that countertop this morning."

Tony immediately jumped from his current position, "That is so disgusting!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- **sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3****

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	6. Fight This Feeling

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>6: Fight This Feeling<span>**

**_Monday_**

Steve spent the weekend trying to clear his head but his thoughts kept drifting back to Natasha. He missed her. He missed the feeling of having her in his arms. He loathed how cold his bed now felt without her in it. _How could this happen?_ No woman ever had this much power over him. But with Natasha, it was a different story. Every minute that Steve spent without her only made him go crazy. His desire for her wasn't something he could easily shake off.

He wanted her back. And to do that, he already had two plans in mind. The first one, it was obviously for Steve to try and convince her to come back to him. If that plan didn't work, then he would have no choice but to resort to the classic, juvenile 'let's-make-her-jealous' strategy that Tony had suggested. Hell, he prayed he didn't have to go that far to get her back.

When Monday finally rolled around, Steve came to the class early because if he had to sit around his apartment any longer, with memories of Natasha writhing and moaning in his bed and on his kitchen counter kept replaying in his mind, he would lose it.

Besides, he needed to come early because of the surprise that he had planned for her. Steve hoped his plan worked and Natasha would be willing to talk to him. _Fingers crossed._

* * *

><p>"Come on, Nat!" Clint yelled as he ran through the hallway to their class, "Run a little faster!"<p>

"I have shorter legs than you, you idiot!" The redhead shouted back, "And we're late because of you!"

They made it to their class with only one minute to spare. Everyone was already there and was now openly staring at them. Or staring at Natasha to be exact. She ignored the looks, including Steve's, and grabbed Clint's hand before leading him to their usual seats.

As Natasha got closer to her table, she found the reason why everyone was looking at her. A huge bouquet of red roses was sitting on the table and she already had an idea who they were from.

"Secret admirer?" Clint teased, but the look on his face told Natasha that her best friend also knew who had placed the flowers on her table.

"Shut up."

She looked up into Steve's intense blue eyes from across the room, a hopeful look evident on his handsome face. Natasha felt bad she would have to crush his hope to get her message across. _It was for the best. They couldn't get involved ever again._ She took the bouquet and put in on the floor, as if she couldn't be bothered by it. Steve actually cringed at that but he quickly recovered and turned his attention back to his computer.

Natasha then noticed a small note on the bouquet. It read _'Please reconsider your decision'_. _There was nothing to consider, Steve! Why was he doing this?_ If he couldn't see that what they had done was a mistake and refused to let it go, then she would have to do it for both of them. She was already feeling guilty about falling into bed with him and she didn't need Steve making her feel even guiltier by following her around. He deserved someone of his own age and maturity.

As was expected, Natasha didn't learn anything from the class. She was avoiding Steve's gaze the whole time. She couldn't look at him without remembering their passionate night together.

Soon the class ended and everyone quickly grabbed their things and left. Natasha and Clint were among the few last ones behind. Steve was preparing to approach Natasha and talk to her, but she swiftly walked to the door, bouquet of roses in her hand and determination in her green eyes, and threw the flowers into the trashcan near the door. She then walked out of the classroom, not missing the hurtful look on Steve's face.

Natasha hated herself for being so mean to him. But it was for the best. It was the only way to make Steve give up on her. _She was doing the right thing, wasn't she?_

* * *

><p>"He clearly wants you back, Nat." Clint said from his place near the coffee maker.<p>

They both had to work at the coffee shop again after class. Lucky for the two friends, it was a quiet day and there weren't a lot of customers.

"And you know damn well I don't want to get back with him, Clint."

"I know. I'm the one who told you not to, remember? Anyway, it's the right thing to do, Tasha."

"Do you really think he wants me back?" Natasha asked again after a while.

"What's wrong with you, Nat? One minute you don't want him, the next minute you're asking about him."

"I don't know, Clint. I'm confused! My heart says one thing, but my head says another."

"Stop thinking about him, Romanov."

She turned her head at that. Clint almost never used her last name. The only few times he called Natasha by her last name was when he was very mad, or very protective. Right now, Natasha knew it was the latter. Her best friend was just being his usual overprotective big brother self.

"Nothing good will come from being involved with your own teacher." He warned her again.

She was about to protest when the doorbell to the coffee shop rang and they both turned their attention to the newcomer. Natasha's eyes widened when she saw Steve and Miss Jones walked into the coffee shop. Their teachers stopped at the counter and smiled at the two students.

"Mr. Barton." Steve nodded to Clint and turned to Natasha who still refused to look at him, "Miss Romanov, nice to see you."

But Natasha pretended not to hear him and busied herself with the espresso machine. If he was honest, Clint wasn't much of a fan of Steve right now either. The man did sleep with his best friend after all. But seeing that Natasha had already given Steve the cold shoulder, Clint took pity on their teacher and decided to humor him.

"Nice to see you too, prof. Can I take your order?" He asked, "Let me guess, a cappuccino and a non-fat vanilla latte?"

"You have a very good memory, Mr. Barton."

"I'm the employee of the month for two straight months now."

Steve handed him a hundred dollar bill, "Keep the change."

Miss Jones went off to find a table to sit while Steve hung back to get their orders. Natasha concentrated on making the coffee and blatantly ignoring him. She was thankful that Clint took the coffee cups and brought them to Steve so she didn't have to talk to him. Of course, Steve was disappointed. _So now she wouldn't even speak to him?_ He sighed as he took the cups and walked to the table where Miss Jones was sitting.

"So, tell me why the great Steve Rogers needs my help?" Monica spoke up. She had known Steve since college. They studied arts together and became good friends.

"I think I might be too hard on my students." He replied, "I get the feeling that they hate me."

The blonde woman laughed, "They don't hate you. I think they just... they hate your stupid standards."

"I thought Mrs. Chamberlin asked me to do this job because of my standards."

"You pushed them too hard, Steve. Back in our days, you were the best the faculty ever had." Monica explained, "They are not the living legend of the Arts faculty like you are."

"You guys still call me that?"

"Everyone does. Mrs. Chamberlin asked you to do this so that you can inspire the senior students to dream big and become successful like you. So my advice is, put those high standards of yours behind and give your students a little room to breathe."

She sat back and took a sip of her coffee before nodding towards Natasha who was currently talking to Clint, "Miss Romanov is the closest thing to you in this generation."

"You think I didn't notice that? She's one of the most skilled students I have, but she's also the most stubborn." Steve sighed, "I think she hates me too."

"They don't hate you, they are just afraid of you." She smiled at her friend, "And now I need another cup of coffee."

"Geez, woman. You drink too much coffee." He complained but got up from his seat to get her drink.

Steve was on his way to the order counter when his phone rang. He was too busy checking his phone screen to see who was calling that he didn't pay attention to where he was going and bumped into another person, causing hot coffee to spill over the front of his suit.

"Oh, I'm so sorry..." He looked down and saw Natasha on the floor, a few coffee cups strewn around her.

Steve immediately offered his hand to help her up but she pulled away from his touch. With a frown, Natasha gathered the now empty cups and made her way to the nearby trashcan. Clint came over with a mop to clean the mess.

"You better go clean yourself up, prof." He said without looking at him, "Otherwise you'll ruin your expensive suit."

Steve headed to the restroom and was surprised to see Natasha following him. He took off his suit jacket and placed it on the sink.

"Let me help you." She offered and turned him around to assert the damage done to his white shirt. Her hands were slightly shaking when she touched his chest.

"Don't worry. I'll have my maid clean it for me later." He murmured, blue eyes fixed on her face.

"By that time, it will leave permanent stain on your shirt."

He kept quiet and let Natasha do her thing. He was trying to ignore the feeling creeping underneath his skin whenever her hands made contact with his bare torso.

She was first to speak again, "I think I just saved you from a boring date." She replayed the words Steve had said that night at the restaurant.

"It's not a date, Miss Romanov. She's my friend and our relationship is strictly professional." He looked at her, "Are you jealous?"

"Not in a million years."

"Natasha, can we please talk about this?" Steve pleaded. _He was now fucking begging to her. He never begged to anyone before. Never._

"I thought I've made myself clear, Mr. Rogers."

"Don't try to deny this."

"I'm not denying anything because there is nothing to deny in the first place!"

"Please don't this, Natasha."

"I already told you it was wrong." She quickly stepped away from him even when she was only halfway done with his shirt.

Steve reached out for her but Natasha backed away, "I can't do this, Steve."

And with that she walked out of the restroom, leaving him feeling dejected and lost.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Tuesday<em>**

Although his first two attempts to win Natasha back were a complete failure, Steve wasn't going to back down. His feeling for her was too strong and he already made himself a promise that he wouldn't give up on her. _How could this 22 years-old girl reduce the great Steve Rogers to begging for her to come back to him?_

Even after Natasha had shot him down, he refused to resort to the plan of deliberately making her jealous. For a start, Steve didn't want her to think that he only wanted her for sex. He had a suspicion that she already thought of him that way. Another reason was the possibility of things to turn out even worse between them, and that Natasha would hate him forever.

But Natasha made it a lot harder for him. Ever since their talk in the restroom at the coffee shop, he hadn't a chance to talk to her again. She was doing a really good job at avoiding him. Before all of this, they always seemed to run into each other but nowadays she was nowhere to be found.

And when he did see her, like in today's class, she was always with Barton. Natasha admitted that they were just friends, but Steve couldn't fight the jealousy that appeared every time he saw how close they were together. No friends would hold hands or touch each other in such intimate manner unless they had feelings for one another.

Steve always kept a close watch on them. It was hard to miss the comfortable look on Natasha's face whenever she was with Barton, or the easy way they playfully teased each other. Natasha was almost always laughing when around Barton and Steve hated it. _He couldn't even make her smile, let alone laugh!_ She would always frown or brood if she was near him. _Yes, he was insanely jealous. And yes, he wanted to punch something, or someone, real bad._

While everyone was working on their latest assignment, Steve was grading their works from the previous Thursday class. He had a plan for this too. Initially, Steve had given Natasha a B+ but he changed the grade on purpose. He knew that if he gave her another bad grade, she would come barging into his office. And only then would Steve get his chance to talk to her again in private.

"Guys, I'll return your assignment from last week." Steve announced and walked around the room to give each student their work back.

Natasha and Clint were the last two as usual. Steve praised Clint for his latest work but he only handed Natasha her poster tube back without saying anything. Natasha was curious to see what grade he had given her. It was the assignment she had wanted to submit to him the night they slept together. She slowly opened her work and saw the grade.

_C_

_WHAT?! Was this some kind of revenge on her? Was this a payback for her rejecting him? Seriously?! _

_WHAT THE HELL?!_

Natasha was livid. She knew Steve was still picking on her, but she never thought he would go this far to make her submit to him. _Or was this all part of his plan? Did he do this just to get her into his office to talk to him? _

The redhead quickly schooled her expression and calmly put her work back inside the tube. _Well, she certainly wasn't going to give Steve Rogers what he wanted._

* * *

><p>Steve's third attempt to get Natasha to talk to him failed again. She didn't come to his office after class as he had expected she would.<p>

As for Natasha, she was glad that she didn't have to face Steve again for the rest of the day. She and Clint got another shift at the coffee shop and it was fortunately another quiet afternoon for them. They were just relaxing behind the counter when Natasha finally mustered up the courage to ask Clint something that had been bothering her since the morning she left Steve's place.

"Do you really think he only wants me for sex? Because I was a virgin?" She asked bluntly, "Or is it because he's my first and so now he wants to keep me all to himself?"

Clint wasn't at all surprised that she would ask him those questions. He knew Natasha very well and therefore he understood why she would think that way. Right now his best friend looked lost and confused, and sad at the same time. Natasha needed to hear the truth, even if she was afraid of the answer.

"Probably." He started, "But from what I see, he seems to really want you."

"I don't know what to do anymore, Clint. I'm afraid he only wants me for sex."

"Okay, what exactly did you do to him?" Clint was now curious, "It's like you cast a spell on him and now he just can't seem to let you go."

"I didn't do anything to him! We just had sex and he kinda wants more..." She trailed off.

"God! This is even worse than I thought. You took down Steve Rogers with sex!" He suddenly yelped when Natasha punched him hard in the arm.

She softly muttered, "Maybe I should just drop this class."

"What?!" Clint turned sharply at her, "You said it yourself that you wouldn't drop this class."

"That was before I had sex with him." She replied, stating the obvious, "Now I can't stop thinking about him. And every time I look at him, I feel weak... I, I'm just not sure what to do anymore, Clint."

"You have to fight it, Nat."

"I'm trying! Believe me! But it scares me how much I actually want to be with him..."

Clint let out a sigh. This was going to be a long afternoon. It wouldn't be an easy task trying to convince Natasha about something when she had already made up her own mind.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Wednesday night<em>**

"ROGERS!" Someone yelled loudly near his ear and it immediately woke Steve up. _Damn, when exactly had he fallen asleep?_

Steve frowned, slowly siting up on the couch he was sleeping on just moments ago, and addressed the intruder, "What the hell, Stark?"

"Party time!" His best friend announced excitedly, "Hottest models in the world and the most unforgettable party you'll ever have! Plus, I can find you someone who will make you forget the girl who dumped you."

"I'd rather not go, Stark. I have class tomorrow."

"Boo!" Tony whined, "Come on, stop being such an old man and live a little!"

Steve sighed. It was pointless to deny Tony what he wanted because it would only make the guy kept on pestering him. Reluctantly, Steve got up from the couch and went to his room to get dressed.

Tony dragged him to a luxurious club that was currently hosting a party for some A-list celebrity. With their social status, the two men never needed an invitation because they were always already on the list. Once inside, they sat down at one of the booths and soon, girls were swarming around them.

"Okay ladies, the real fun is just about to start!" Tony said charmingly and put his arms around two girls, "But most importantly, tonight Uncle Tony needs all of you to take care of his heartbroken friend over here." He nodded to Steve who was staring blankly at his whiskey glass.

"Aww handsome, who is dumb enough to break your heart?" One of the girls purred, leaning closer to Steve's ear.

"It's none of your business." The blond man retorted, pushing the girl off of his lap and standing up, "Stark, I'm going home."

"Oh come on, bro! Just try and have fun a little!"

But Steve was still brooding so Tony sent the girls away with an annoyed sigh.

"Okay, what's really bothering you?" The billionaire pressed on when they were finally alone, "It's that girl, isn't it?"

"Yeah, sort of. I... I just can't stop thinking about her and it's driving me crazy!" Steve replied in frustration, "I've never wanted anyone so bad!"

"It will pass soon. Trust me, man." Tony assured, "It's only lust, not love. So once you're satisfied with her, you'll stop wanting her. When she's finally yours, you'll get bored eventually."

Steve didn't bother to correct his friend because Tony would discard Steve's argument anyway. Despite Tony's assumption, Steve knew in his heart that he would never get tired of having Natasha in his life. _But how would he convince her to come back to him?_

"It's not too late for the Hail Mary Pass, bro." It was as if Tony could read his mind, "I can tell you're still thinking of a way to get her back."

"I'm not making her jealous by using sex, Tony." Steve insisted, "That's clearly sending the wrong message to her and she'll most likely end up hating me."

"Whatever, man. But if you make her jealous, you can get her back faster."

Steve hardly believed it was true.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thursday<em>**

It appeared Steve wasn't trying anything to get Natasha to talk to him again today. Nothing happened during the class either, except she got her work back and found that he gave her a B this time. Although Natasha was still displeased with the grade, she refused to go to Steve's office and protested like she normally would. Overall, the day went rather smoothly for her.

Natasha was walking out of the classroom where she just finished her last class when a voice greeted from behind, "Hello Natasha."

The redhead turned around and came face to face with Lance Hunter, Clint's friend and the guy she went on a date with some time ago.

She smiled at him, "Hey, Lance. How are you doing?"

"Very well." He grinned, "So I was wondering if you would want to go out with me again?"

Natasha tentatively paused, "Yeah, about that..." She then confessed, "Look I'm sorry, Lance, but I don't think of you that way."

"Oh…" He looked disappointed, "So, are you already with someone else?"

"No, I just don't want to be in a relationship right now." She explained, "I'm still not ready for one, and I actually enjoy being single for now."

"That's too bad because I really like you."

Natasha gave him a kind smile, "I hope we can still be friends."

"Of course we can." He smiled in return, "But I've been wanting to do this since our first date..."

Before Natasha realized what was happening, Lance pulled her close and bent down to kiss her on the lips. She froze on the spot. _He wasn't him. She didn't feel the electric spark like when Steve had kissed her. She didn't feel her stomach flutter. He wasn't him!_

He pulled away and saw her expression, "Well, that confirms it." Lance said in a dejected tone, "You're in love with someone else."

* * *

><p>Steve was walking through the hallway on his way to the parking lot when he turned a corner and saw the sight that made his heart shattered into a million pieces.<p>

Natasha was kissing the guy she went on a date with.

_Damn it!_ Now Steve really wanted to punch something. He was doing everything he could not to march over there and beat the guy up. _How could Natasha do this to him? Did she really think by making out with another guy she would make Steve give up on her? Oh, she was so wrong!_ He wasn't going to admit defeat that easily. _No, he would do everything in his power to win her back, by any means necessary!_

_But what if Natasha really loved that guy?_ Steve had been quite selfish and assumed that she felt the same way about him. _What if she didn't?_ Natasha deserved someone who could make her happy, and the last time Steve saw her and the guy on their date, they looked happy. As much as Steve was willing to fight for her, he also wanted Natasha to be happy.

Perhaps the boy could give her that. Perhaps Steve should do what she asked him to do, which was to forget about that night and leave her be.

_Perhaps he should just give up on her?_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	7. All Bets Are Off

**Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)**

* * *

><p><strong><span>7: All Bets Are Off<span>**

**_That Weekend_**

After Steve grudgingly mentioned to Tony that 'his girl' had kissed another guy, the billionaire immediately insisted Steve to go with his initial plan of making her jealous. Tony even said that the timing was perfect because it was the Stark Industries Annual Ball. The man went as far as inviting all the women from his elite group of people for Steve to choose as his date to the event.

Steve, on the other hand, was still opposed to the idea and refused to even come, "I don't feel like going this year, Tony."

"What?! As your best friend, I'll be very offended if you don't come!" The brown-haired man stated, " Besides, this is your chance to get back at that girl who dumped you... by sleeping with other girls. Yes, plural."

"I'm not going to just sleep around with a bunch of women, Stark."

"I can't believe this, I thought you wanted her back?"

"Yes, I do want her back but I will not go with your plan." Steve countered, "It's stupid and juvenile."

"But it will work."

"I'd rather give up on her than let her believe that I only want her for sex."

"So, will you come to the party or not?"

"Sorry, buddy. I'm gonna skip it this year."

"WHY?!" Tony whined, "Come on, man, are you really going to leave me to face those people all by myself?"

"Now you sound like a clingy girlfriend and it's creeping me out."

In the end, Steve gave into his friend's incessant plea to come to the gala as long as he didn't have to bring a date. This would mark his first appearance in a high society event in almost half a decade. Steve preferred to keep his life private and generally avoided any social gatherings because his mom liked to set him up with random women. Sarah Rogers was so keen on seeing his son finally meet a nice girl and get married. But Steve wouldn't want to settle down, unless he found the right one.

Steve arrived at the party alone but his presence still attracted a lot of attention, especially from reporters and photographers. The blond man kept it to himself most of the evening, opting to sit at the bar and drink alone. Some women did come up to him, but he politely turned them down. Steve had been around these people for too long to know that most women only wanted him for his money and his family's reputation. Many had tried to conquer his heart but none of them succeeded. _Until her. _

As was always the case recently, Steve found his thoughts wandering back to Natasha. He couldn't stop thinking about her even after she had ripped his heart out of his chest. His eyes absently traveled to the dance floor and instantly, he was reminded of the dance he had with Natasha. _How nice would it be to dance with her again? To have her in his arms again?_ Steve set his glass down and quickly left the party without telling anyone. The mere thought of Natasha made him miss her even more.

"Where to, sir?" David asked as Steve got into his limo.

"Do you still remember Miss Romanov's apartment?"

"Of course, sir."

"Take me there."

His chauffeur did as Steve requested and drove him to a 5-storey apartment building on the Upper West Side. However, Steve didn't get out of the car. He simply sat inside and looked out of the car window, his blue eyes searching for any sign of what could be Natasha's room. Suddenly he noticed the familiar red hair standing with her back to the window while talking to a dark-blond man whom Steve recognized as Clint Barton.

She was laughing again, and looking just as happy. Steve wanted so bad to be the one who made her smile like that, not the guy who was her 'best friend'. The unexpected squeeze in his heart only emphasized how much he wanted something that he clearly couldn't have.

He averted his gaze from the beautiful smiling face of Natasha Romanov, "Take me home, David. I've seen enough."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Monday<em>**

Steve woke up to pictures of him from the Stark Industries' gala on nearly every newspaper and gossip magazines. The media was buzzing over the fact that one of New York's hottest and most eligible bachelors was finally coming out of his shell and attending parties again. Sarah Rogers even called Steve and asked him to come to her party next month.

"Fine, mother. I will be there." Steve agreed before hanging up the phone.

He flipped through every magazine to make sure that there was no picture of him with any woman that could cause misunderstanding to the public. He didn't want Natasha to see him with some woman he barely knew. He didn't want her to think of him as the typical womanizer every rich man seemed to be associated with. _But why did it matter again? Why did he still care about what she thought? _

Steve quickly got up from his seat, collected his belongings and left for the university. He couldn't stay too long at the penthouse because everything would only remind him of Natasha.

He went to the class with a new plan in mind. This time he would do what Natasha wanted him to do, which meant pretending nothing happened between them and treating her like any other students.

"Morning, guys!" Steve greeted as he walked into the classroom.

"How was last night, professor?" Lorraine immediately asked, "Stark's party must be really awesome."

He gave her a tight smile, "You don't want to know, Miss Lorraine. It was just a boring party full of old people."

His voice didn't leave room for further questions. Steve definitely wasn't about to tell his students that he had left the party early to stalk on one of their classmates.

"Let's begin with our lesson. We've got quite a lot to cover today."

Everyone put their curiosity aside and started to focus on the lecture. But there was one person who couldn't seem to concentrate because she was too busy wondering about the change in Steve's demeanor. Natasha watched Steve closely during the lecture and noticed that he looked a bit distant. _Maybe he just had a bad day._ She tried to shrug it off, but deep down she was rather worried about him. Natasha saw the newspaper and knew he had gone to the gala alone. It bothered her somehow to see Steve looking so lonely.

Clint caught Natasha staring at their professor so he poked her arm with his pen. She slightly jumped and glared at him, but quickly gathered herself and shifted her attention to what Steve was teaching.

The lesson continued but Natasha's mind was obviously somewhere else. Later on, Steve walked around the room to check on the rough sketches he asked the students to do. He stopped at Clint's workbench and gave him some advice on his work. But when he reached Natasha's, Steve only took a few seconds to look at her sketch before walking away without saying a word to her.

_This was weird?_ He normally didn't hesitate to comment on how terrible her work was. _What the hell happened to him? Was it another payback for her rejecting him last week?_ Now he decided to give her a silent treatment. _That was what you wanted, right? For him to stay away from you?_

Then Natasha realized that she might have just succeeded in making Steve Rogers stop pursuing her. _But she didn't mean it like this._ _She wanted him to still treat her like they knew each other. She wanted him to still talk to her._ Natasha was torn. She never intended for things between she and Steve to go this way.

It was almost the end of the class but Steve let them go early. Most of the students started to leave the room except for Lorraine who hung back to chat with their professor. Natasha watched as the girl openly flirted with Steve, touching his arm and leaning closer to him. But Steve's usual friendliness was now replaced by this cool, reserved manner.

_What the hell happened to him?_

* * *

><p>It appeared Natasha wasn't the only one who noticed the change in Steve Rogers' behavior. Clint brought up the subject when she walked into the coffee shop for her shift later that afternoon.<p>

"Maybe you've successfully scared him away." Her best friend reasoned.

"I don't think so..."

"Well, perhaps you can ask him yourself." He nodded to the door as Steve pushed it open. Natasha went still when Steve reached the counter.

Clint asked, "The usual?"

Their teacher only nodded and gave Clint a hundred dollar bill, "Keep the change."

"You should stop tipping me and Nat so much."

"I thought you needed a little help with money, Mr. Barton."

"Yeah, you're right." He admitted, "Shooting arrows in the Olympic Games don't really pay you much money."

"You're in the Olympic team?"

"Yeah, I only got one gold medal last time. Anyway, nobody actually cares about archery."

"I can talk to some people who might be interested in being your sponsor and everything, if you want to."

"Really, prof?" Clint's eyes widened, "You aren't shitting me right?"

"Give me a call if you're interested in my offer." Steve said and gave Clint his business card, "I know a lot of people who can help."

"Thanks, man."

Steve smiled at him and moved to wait for Natasha to make his order. He just stood there in absolute silence. When she was finally done and handed him the cup, Steve took it and walked out of the coffee shop without saying anything to her.

She was the reason Steve behaved this way. _Damn it!_ Natasha never wanted things to turn out like this. She only asked for him to stop trying to get her back and move on. She just wanted everything to return to the way it was before they had slept together. _Was that too much too ask? Or a man and a woman really couldn't be friends after they had sex?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Tuesday<em>**

Steve fell asleep on the couch again. It was starting to become a habit these days because he couldn't bring himself to sleep on his bed when all he saw was Natasha, moaning his name and coming undone from underneath him. Even half of the objects in his apartment reminded him of Natasha. _It shouldn't be this way. She shouldn't have this much effect on him. He used to be a ladies man for god's sake!_ Although those days were way behind him and he had stopped sleeping around since his second year of college, Steve Rogers had always been the one who had the upper hand when it came to women. _But now look at him, pining after a 22 years-old girl... how pathetic!_

He remained his distance with everyone in the class, especially Natasha. He didn't talk to her or ask her anything, not even when he gave her work back. Meanwhile, Natasha was reaching her boiling point from having to endure his silent treatment. She needed to do something about it, and soon.

The redhead waited until she finished her last class of the day before she made her way to the teachers' floor to talk to Steve. It was nearly 5 PM and the floor was almost empty since most of the staff and teachers already went home. Natasha walked over to Steve's office and opened the door just as he was preparing to leave.

"You better knock next time." He said in a hard tone without looking at her.

"Can we just talk about this, Steve?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

Natasha pleaded, "Can we please go back to the way we were before we slept together?"

"No, I can't."

"But why?" She asked, "Why is it so hard for you to move past that point?"

Steve turned sharply at her, "Because I just can't move on from there, okay?!" He stepped closer to her, blue eyes blazing in a mixture of hurt and anger. "I can't pretend like nothing happened because I want to be with you, Natasha. I want you day and night and every fucking moment of the day!"

Natasha was speechless. She was trying to come up with something to say but apparently Steve wasn't done, "But what you did, what you told me... it hurts. You wanted me to leave you alone and when I finally do that, you suddenly change your mind? Why don't you stop playing with my heart and decide for once what you want from me!"

He then turned away to grab his bag, "Anyway, I wish you all the best with your boyfriend, Miss Romanov."

"What boyfriend?" She was confused, but at least she finally found her voice again.

"The guy you kissed last Thursday."

_Oh._ "He's not my boyfriend." She explained, "He just kissed me. I didn't even kiss him back!"

"You don't have to lie. Clearly he's perfect for you because you both are the same age so you don't have to be ashamed of him the way you are with me."

"What?" Natasha couldn't believe what she just heard, "Will you just shut up for a second?!"

He turned to walk past her when Natasha suddenly threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him hard on the lips. Steve was shocked for about two seconds, but he then returned the kiss with the same intensity.

"I hate you..." She murmured between the kiss, "But I want you too, Steve. I did all of that for us, for what is best for us."

He smiled against her lips, knowing she didn't really hate him, "I know but you don't have to. We want each other. That's all that matters."

"I hate you for being right about this. I hate you for knowing me too well and-" Steve silenced her with another kiss but Natasha slightly pulled away, "I hate you."

She proved her point by crushing their lips together again and shoved him against the nearest wall. Steve groaned into the kiss and hoisted her legs up, desperate for more contact. _He was definitely losing control again._

"God, woman, you're making me crazy." He growled as his lips trailed down her neck, lightly nipping on the soft skin.

Steve tore his lips away from her skin to pull her blouse over her head and threw it over his shoulder. His eyes widened when he saw Natasha's choice of undergarment that instantly made him hard.

"Are you intentionally wearing that red bra today?" His voice was laced with desire, "You're so hot, Natasha."

His right hand cupped her breast and squeezed hard while his hot lips sucked on her nipple through the thin fabric of her bra. Natasha moaned and began to buck her hips, earning a low growl from Steve. Her hands moved to unbuckle his belt and Steve helped her shrug his trousers off. She kissed him again and slipped her tongue into his mouth, both hands were at each side of his face. He carried her to his desk, swiping everything off with one hand before placing her petite body on it. Then he tugged her skirt up and pulled down her panties.

"I missed having you in my arms like this, darling." Steve murmured against her skin as he removed his boxer, revealing his fully erected cock. "You feel so good... so perfect."

"I've missed you too…" She gasped, feeling the tip of his cock on her wet entrance, "God... Steve, just put it inside me."

"Patience, darling. I don't want to hurt you." He replied and kissed her sweetly on the lips, "I want to make sure that you're ready." His two fingers slipped inside her and his thumb circled around her clit, spreading her open.

Natasha writhed under him, quietly begging, "I need you, Steve. Now."

"Okay, baby."

Spreading her legs, he slowly pushed in, inch by delicious inch until he was fully seated inside her. Natasha moaned loudly but was stopped by Steve's mouth covering hers.

"Don't be too loud." He warned as he began moving his hips, "Don't wanna get caught now, do we?"

But in reality, they were both excited by the fact that someone could walk in on them at that very moment. Natasha was a lot wetter than she already was, which only encouraged Steve to pick up his pace and slammed harder into her, hitting her sweet spot each time. She softly whimpered, back arching and her hands gripping him tight. _What made her think she could deny this?_ Natasha felt like a fool for even considering it.

Steve pinned her down until her back was pressed against the cool surface of his desk, holding her at just the right angle to allow him sink deeper inside her heavenly body. Natasha cried out in pleasure and he muffled the sound with another rough kiss. Then Steve abruptly pulled out from her, receiving a protest from Natasha.

"Steve…"

He surprised her by flipping her onto her stomach and letting her feet touch the floor. Steve took a moment to savor the sight of her beautiful body before him. _Natasha was perfection._ Pulling her back against him, he filled her again in one hard thrust. The new position gave them a different sensation and they both moaned in pleasure. She was completely at his mercy.

"Natasha..." He grunted against her neck, slamming forward while Natasha rocking back to meet his thrusts. Some foreign words fell from her lips and it turned him on even more. Steve's left hand found her breast and began playing with her nipple.

"Steve, I'm gonna… Oh god... Yes!" Natasha let out a cry as she reached closer to her orgasm, "That's it, yes, just like that..."

"Come with me, baby." He tilted her head to the side and kissed her deeply, "Come on, Natasha... come with me, darling."

Steve gave one final thrust that sent Natasha over the edge. Her body convulsed around him, tightening and milking his cock. He came inside her with a low groan, filling her with his hot cum. Slowly, he pulled out of her and turned her around to give her a passionate kiss. After a while, Natasha broke the kiss and stared into his loving blue eyes.

"Are you alright?" Steve asked, his hand reached up to gently caress her cheek.

She smiled softly, a little out of breath, "I'm okay."

He nodded, "We should get dressed." Looking around the room, he went to retrieve their clothes.

"Come back to my place with me, Natasha." Steve said once they finished cleaning up and getting dressed.

She looked at him, confused. "Why?"

"Well, I would like to spend more time with you." His eyes were hopeful, "I didn't get the chance last time because you left so soon."

"Yeah, about that... I'm sorry."

"It's alright, baby."

"Then what are you waiting for? Come on, we have a lot to make up for after wasting one whole week pretending we didn't want each other."

Steve smiled fondly at the girl in front of him, "You should go first, I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. David is already waiting for me in front of this building."

"Okay." She leaned up to kiss him, "See you soon, professor."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	8. Love Fools

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong><span>8: Love Fools<span>**

The partition was up in his limo to give Steve and Natasha the privacy they needed. The two sat silently for a while, their hands intertwined and eyes sneaking shy glances at the other every now and then. Everything happened so fast again, and Steve knew they had to talk about this. He wouldn't let things crash and burn like the last time.

"I thought you said it was a mistake." He was first to speak.

Natasha smiled at him, "I made a mistake denying it." She continued in a soft voice, "You were right... I want you as much as you want me."

"So, you don't regret our first night together?"

"I regretted it at first..." She trailed off, avoiding eye contact with him, "I don't know whether you really want to be with me, or you only want me for sex. I don't know if you have feelings for me... or if I'm just one of your conquests."

Steve placed two fingers under her chin to make her look at him, "I do have feelings for you, Natasha. That's not a lie. I've never wanted to be with anyone as much as I want you."

"So we're gonna do this?" Her brows quirked up, green eyes gleamed mischievously.

"Yes, please." He replied in a pleading tone, "I aim to be with you for a very long time, Natasha. But we also have to be very discreet about this because no one can know about us."

"Okay." She leaned closer and pecked his lips, "You're my first ever relationship so… I kinda want it to work out too."

"We'll make it, love." Steve smiled and pulled her into a deep kiss, holding her tight.

They didn't stop kissing until they reached his apartment building. When they broke off the kiss, Steve practically dragged Natasha out of the car and into his private elevator before shoving her up against the wall and resumed kissing her hungrily until Natasha could only moan into his mouth.

"What have you done to me, Natasha?" Steve groaned into the kiss, "You always… do this thing to me."

"I don't know… maybe…" She panted, taking a deep breath as his mouth continued kissing down her soft skin, "Maybe… you're just... so easily turned on."

"Probably." He smiled against her neck, "But it only happens with you."

Soon they arrived at his floor. He pulled her up and Natasha wrapped her legs around his waist, their lips still locked together as they stumbled into the living room.

She murmured between the kiss, "Can we take a shower first before we do it again?"

"I have a better idea."

He carried her inside the bathroom and set her down on her feet. Once they took off their clothes, he lifted her up again and stepped inside the bathtub. His hand reached for the dial, letting the warm water fill the tub. His hot lips never left her skin. He couldn't get enough of her. She was so addictive and he only wanted more.

Steve pulled away from her neck, his blue eyes were burning with passion, "Let me_—"_ _Love you_. He paused and stared into her beautiful green eyes, "Let me show you how amazing you are, and worship you the way you deserve. Let me make love to you. Please, sweetheart."

Natasha averted her gaze as she felt her cheeks flush at his sweet words. But Steve tilted her face up, "Natasha, please..."

"Okay…"

"Thank you, darling."

He put her on his lap and began to kiss up her neck and down her cleavage, marking every inch of her body. His mouth closed on her nipple, gently tugging it between his lips and giving it a soft lick. Natasha gripped him tight as she relished in the sensation of his touch, so tender and loving, making her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world.

Steve kept whispering sweet words against her skin, telling her how lucky he was to have her in his arms. His hot breath sent a shiver down her spine, and Natasha let out a quiet moan. Her hand traveled down from his torso to grab his hardening cock and started stroking it, earning a low growl from Steve. She guided his cock to her entrance and looked into his eyes. He nodded and kissed her lovingly before sliding his hard length inside her.

"Ahh—Steve!" She gasped aloud as he bottomed out.

He became alarmed at her reaction, "Are you hurt?"

"No… I feel good." She assured, kissing him to ease his worry.

She then began rolling her hips impatiently because Steve still didn't move but instead, he was watching her closely to make sure he didn't hurt her.

"I'm okay, Steve. Just fuck me already." She growled in his ear, raking her nails down his chest to give him some sense of urgency. She needed him badly right now.

He finally complied, settling his hands on her hips and lifting her up slightly, and then he began slowly pulling out of her before pushing back in. Natasha choked back a sob as he filled her up again. Steve kissed the side of her neck, chaste and hopelessly sweet. She felt vulnerable in his arms, under his gentle touch, and she couldn't hold back a whimper that escaped her lips.

"Steve- harder!" She cried out as pleasure started to boil from inside her.

"I don't want to hurt you-arghh!" He groaned when she took a sharp bite on his neck.

"Harder..." She demanded, "Or I will bite you again."

Steve didn't want to admit it out loud, but it did turn him on a little when she took control like this. And this was just the beginning. He could only imagine how incredible it would be if they were to do this forever.

"I said I will make love to you, darling."

"Fuck. Me. Now." Natasha grunted, "I'm not in the mood for slow love making right now."

"But..."

Her green eyes fixed on him. "We will do it your way later. Right now I just want you to fuck me senseless."

He flipped them over, making sure to place her in a comfortable position before plunging deep and hard into her. Natasha screamed his name in pleasure. She was still incredibly tight and felt so good around him. The warm water from the bathtub was like a million fingers ghosting over their skin, creating a wonderful new sensation. Steve fucked her senseless, roughly pumping in and out of her. It wasn't long before her walls started tightening around him, and his cock twitched as he filled her, eliciting another loud cry from Natasha.

"God, that was amazing."

"I know, right?" She crooned, pulling him into another kiss. "Better than going slow."

Steve lightly frowned, "You still owe me one love making session, my dear."

"Some other time then." She smiled and clung on to him.

He quickly cleaned them both because Natasha was just sitting there limply while peppering light kisses along his neck and jaw.

"You're not exactly helping me, Natasha."

"I know. I'm trying to distract you."

He huffed in amusement but let her continue doing whatever she was doing. Once he finished, Steve helped her out of the bathtub and wrapped her in a towel. He then left to find some clothes for her to wear, returning a moment later with his shirt, boxer, and sweats. Natasha took his shirt as Steve put on his sweatpants.

"Leave your torso bare." She said with a playful wink, "I still want to trace my fingers over your abs."

He laughed heartily, "Of course."

He carried her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed. They snuggled close as Natasha ran her fingers over the lines of his muscles.

"We should talk." She said softly.

But Steve already closed his eyes and was about to sleep, "We will talk tomorrow, love."

She then nibbled on his sensitive nipple, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath, "No! We will talk about this now." She insisted and moved up to straddle him.

He smiled sleepily at her, "Fine. We will talk."

"So… what do you think about all of this?"

"I want to be with you, Natasha. I really mean it. I want you and I need you."

"Me too." She replied in a quiet tone, "I want to be with you."

His hand came up to stroke her cheek, "I really like you... and I don't normally say this to anyone. I rarely feel this way about someone."

"I…. like you too." She admitted, "Well, I kinda hate you but I also like to be around you. I honestly don't know what I'm feeling right now, but I do know I want you…so much."

"That's all I need to hear." He placed a tender kiss on her lips, "Is that all we need to discuss?"

"For now."

"Hmm… Let's go to sleep then, shall we?"

Natasha didn't reply but only nestled closer into his embrace. Steve kissed the top of her head one more time and let his exhaustion took over.

* * *

><p>It was the first time they both had a solid sleep since the first time they spent the night together. Steve had avoided sleeping in his bed because he hated the feeling of not having Natasha in his arms. Similarly, as much as she might have tried to deny it, Natasha had missed the warmth of Steve's body and his arms securely wrapped around her. But now that they finally rejoined, all was right with the world again.<p>

She slowly stirred, feeling the familiar warmth she had secretly come to love from the strong arms that were enveloping her petite body from behind. She figured Steve must have still been sleeping soundly next to her. But when she turned around, she was met with a pair of intense blue eyes that were sparkling with affection. A loving smile appeared on his handsome face as his thumb gently traced along her cheekbone.

"Morning, beautiful."

"Morning." Natasha replied sleepily and rubbed her eyes, "How long have you been awake?"

"A little over an hour."

"And you're just waiting for me to wake up? I thought you have a morning run or something that you do every morning."

"I found something else I prefer to do other than running." He answered with a smile, which he couldn't seem to wipe off of his face. "I love watching you do that adorable thing with your nose while you were sleeping."

Her face turned red almost instantly and she looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed. But Steve just chuckled at her reaction.

"You shouldn't stare at people, Steve. Especially when they were sleeping."

"But how could I take my eyes off of the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life?"

"Don't lie to make me feel better." She shied away from him, "I might be snoring, or drooling..."

But he held her closer, "No, you didn't do those things. Trust me, sweetheart, you're perfect."

"If you keep saying that, I might one day actually believe that I really am beautiful."

"I'll remind you how beautiful you are every day, love." He whispered, kissing her neck, "My beautiful Natasha."

Natasha shivered when she felt his hot breath against her skin. She began squirming as he trailed kisses along her neck. Their desire was starting to make itself known so Natasha lightly shoved Steve away because she was still rather sore from the previous night.

"We're late. I have to go to class."

"It's almost noon, my love."

"WHAT?!" She almost jumped out of the bed, "We slept in?"

His face broke into a playful grin, "Yes. But it's completely understandable, considering what we did last night."

"God! I have to go to class." Natasha tried to wiggle out of his embrace but Steve only tightened his hold.

"I kinda want to keep you here with me all day." He said without regret. "Now, I still haven't given you a morning kiss..."

She quickly pulled the blanket to cover her mouth, "Don't kiss me yet. I have bad morning breath."

"I don't care." He murmured and leaned closer, "You smell nice to me all the time, baby."

"No, I don't. We need to brush our teeth first before I let you kiss me again."

Steve ignored her and pecked a kiss through the blanket anyway, smiling warmly at the woman in front of him. Natasha's eyes then noticed something on his neck.

"I left a mark on your neck." Her finger traced the red mark on the side of his neck.

He smirked at her, "Yeah, you bit me pretty hard last night."

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay, Natasha. I kinda love it."

"Well, maybe next time I'll bite that firm ass of yours."

Steve laughed and pecked another kiss through the blanket. Then he carried her to the bathroom and gave her a new toothbrush that she could use. It didn't take too long for them to finish their morning routine.

Once he was done shaving, Steve turned to Natasha with a wide smile, "Okay, can I kiss you now, sweetheart?"

Instead of answering, she leaned up and pressed their lips together. _What a good way to start the day._ Steve started deepening the kiss but Natasha pulled away.

"I'm hungry, Steve."

He gave her a fond smile, "Okay, do you have anything special in mind?"

"No, just cook me anything. I want you to surprise me."

"Very well."

They went to the kitchen and Natasha sat down on one of the stools opposite Steve who was starting to prepare their meal. She watched as Steve Rogers, still shirtless, moved easily around the kitchen to get all the ingredients for the pancake before heating up the pan and putting the mixed batter in.

"You make blueberry pancakes again."

"Yeah, last time you didn't get to eat my pancakes so I'm giving you another chance to taste my signature dish." He replied with a smile, "It's my favorite."

_Is this some sort of a soul mate thing?_ "Mine too." She said mostly to herself. But apparently Steve had heard her because he briefly turned from the stove and gave her a wink.

Steve put the pancakes, which he also had delicately decorated, in two plates and brought them to Natasha. He placed the dish in front of her and moved to sit by her side. They ate their breakfast in silence and Natasha had to take note of how delicious his blueberry pancakes were. They were even better than the ones at her usual breakfast diner.

"How was it?" He asked after a while.

"It's the most delicious pancakes I've ever had."

He beamed at her compliment, "I'm glad you like it."

Natasha smiled and took another bite, "Since I skipped all my classes today to be with you, I think we should go out and have a nice dinner." She suggested, "And maybe a little dancing? That would be lovely too."

"Natasha, as much as I want to, I don't think it's a good idea. If we go out, we will risk being seen together."

"It's not risky, Steve. We can put on a disguise or something."

"My answer is no, Natasha." He sighed and turned to her, "Look, how about we just stay in tonight? We can go shopping at the supermarket nearby and I will cook something very nice for you to try."

"Try to be a little more fun and adventurous, Mr. Rogers." She openly teased, "Yesterday we fucked in your office... can't get more risky than that."

"You have to take this seriously, Natasha." He put his hands on her thighs and looked into her eyes. "I don't want to risk your future with this."

"We're not risking anything, Steve. We'll keep this secret between us... and perhaps, we can each tell one other person that we can trust not to tell anyone."

"Who are you gonna tell?"

"Barton."

"Of course."

"He's my best friend, Steve. Don't be jealous."

"I'm not jealous. I'm just not sure about your relationship status with him—mmphhh!" Natasha stopped his rambling with a hard kiss. Steve was startled for a second before he eagerly returned the kiss with equal fervor.

She pulled away slightly to look at him, "Clint and I are just friends. I'm all yours, Steve. I'm with you now."

"I'm all yours too, darling." He smiled and kissed her again.

Natasha slid on to his lap and looped her arms around his neck, "So… I guess that officially makes us boyfriend/girlfriend, huh?"

"Yes, I would love that."

They shared another passionate kiss, which Natasha soon broke off before it could lead to something else. Steve, however, immediately brought his lips down to her neck.

"We should tell our friends today."

"Nah…" Steve refused and continued to suck on the skin of her neck, "Busy…doing…something else."

"Steve!"

He pulled away and pouted at her, looking like an adorable 7 years-old boy, "Fine, let's call them to meet us here."

* * *

><p>Tony got a call from Steve during his lunch with one hot blonde model he met at the club. Steve said he had something to tell him so Tony dropped everything and went straight to Steve's apartment. His friend had sounded very serious on the phone so Tony figured whatever Steve wanted to speak to him about must have been very important.<p>

He reached the building and walked to the private elevator. Just as he pressed the 'close' button, someone slid their hand and stepped into the elevator with him.

"Who the hell are you, kid?" Tony asked the tall dark-blond guy who was now standing next to him, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Who the hell are you?" He shot back, "And where the hell do you think you're going?"

The billionaire rolled his eyes. _Kids._ "I'm Tony Stark."

"Clint Barton."

"Why are you heading to my friend's penthouse?"

"Because your friend needs to talk to me." Clint replied, "And my friend is up there too."

"Weird." Tony mused, "He said the same thing to me."

They were silent for a moment before they quickly snapped their heads back to look at the other with wide eyes.

Clint stammered, "Do you mean… our….?"

"Did they….?"

The elevator dinged and the first thing the two men saw was Steve and Natasha standing in the living room and holding hands, clearly expecting them. Tony and Clint walked right to the couple, although the latter actually marched on furiously and pulled his best friend away from Steve.

"ARE YOU MAD, NATASHA ROMANOV?!" He yelled at the redhead.

Tony was also surprised but for an entirely different reason, "HOLY SHIT! That's the girl from the nude portrait you drew!"

"Shut up!" Steve warned his friend.

Natasha immediately turned her attention to Steve, "What nude portrait?"

"It's nothing."

"WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU GUYS STILL DOING THIS?" Clint was fuming.

"Calm down, Clint." Natasha said, her hands gently rubbing his arms to soothe him. "We called both of you here to tell you about our relationship and we hope that you guys, as our best friends, could keep it a secret."

"I can't fucking believe it!" Clint muttered and turned away. He was weighing whether or not to punch Steve Rogers in the face.

"We do hope that by the end of this, we will have your blessings." Steve added, eyeing both Barton and Tony with slight apprehension.

Clint blatantly ignored Steve, instead focusing on lecturing Natasha on her 'terrible life choice'. Meanwhile Tony was just standing there confused, wondering why this Clint guy was freaking out because honestly, the girl hit a jackpot scoring Steve Rogers' heart.

"Why is this dude making a very big deal out of this? Isn't he supposed to be glad that his friend is sleeping with the hottest bachelor in New York?"

"I'll explain to you later." Steve said to Tony and then addressed the two men again, "Right now we need both of you to listen to us and be very open-minded."

The couple took a seat on the couch and signaled for their friends to do the same.

"From the top. Right now." Clint demanded through gritted teeth. He was trying to contain his anger at the thought of Steve Rogers taking advantage of Natasha again, and possibly ruining her life.

Natasha slipped her hand in Steve's before they began telling both men the story from the beginning. How it first happened. Then Natasha ended it, but later realized that she could no longer deny her feelings for Steve. And finally, how they ended up getting back together. Both Clint and Tony quickly covered their ears in protests when it came to the part about the bedroom activities.

"I don't wanna know!"

"I don't need to hear all of that!"

The couple just chuckled and then Steve spoke up, "So... that's the story. I'm sure you guys have a lot of questions for us?"

Clint abruptly stood up, "Yeah, I need to talk to Natasha. Privately." His tone didn't leave room for argument.

The redhead walked over to her friend, "Okay."

"The library is that way." Steve gestured to the hallway leading to his library.

Clint walked off and Natasha was about to follow him but Steve caught her by the arm. She could see the concern in his eyes.

"It's okay. You don't have to worry." She assured and leaned up to kiss him, "I'll be right back."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	9. Live Dangerously

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong><span>9: Live Dangerously <span>**

**In the library**

Natasha followed Clint into the library and as soon as she closed the door, he bellowed, "ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR GODDAMN MIND?!"

"Clint, keep your voice down." Natasha calmly said, "It's not that big of a deal."

He looked at her as if she had lost her mind, "Not that big of a deal? THIS IS A BIG DEAL, ROMANOV!"

"No, it's not." She insisted, "If we can keep this a secret, nothing will happen. No one will know."

"I suggest you end this before it's getting out of hand!" Clint huffed in frustration, "I can't believe it! You said it yourself that you wouldn't do this, yet here you are, fucking him again!"

"I want to be with him, Clint." Natasha replied honestly, "And nothing will stop us from keep seeing each other."

Clint shook his head in disbelief. _Of all the stupid things Natasha could do, she had to choose this one?_ He had warned her about the consequences if someone found out about this. Her life would end before it even began. Of course Steve would continue on as if nothing happened because he was rich and powerful.

But his best friend seemed to throw it all out of the window. Clint was pretty sure Steve had charmed her with his sweet words and good look. The man most likely wanted Natasha only for sex and once he got bored of her, he would easily dump her.

"You're dancing with the devil here, Nat. It's not good."

"I'll take responsibility for my decision, Clint."

"Don't do this, Natasha. Please." Clint tried again, "He's your teacher. You can't keep sleeping with him. Don't let yourself be fooled by his charming words, he might not even be the kind of man you think he is."

But Natasha refused to listen, "He's not lying to me, Clint. I know." She eyed him pleadingly, "I just want you to approve this because you're like a brother to me and I really like him, Clint. And I know it might be too early to say this, but I think he could be the one."

"You're out of your mind."

"Just give him a chance. He's not that bad."

Clint sighed, at a loss for words. "Fine." He said after a moment, "But if he hurts you in any way, I won't let you near him ever again."

When she heard that Clint was okay with it, Natasha let out a big happy smile that Clint hadn't seen in a while. She hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek. He returned the hug with a smile of his own. Even if he was still against the idea, deep down he only wanted Natasha to be happy.

* * *

><p><strong>In the living room<strong>

Once the door to the library closed, Steve turned to Tony who was now folding his arms and glaring at him.

"Are you crazy? Your own student?!" The billionaire screeched, "You're playing with fire here, Rogers. And I can tell you, both of you will burn."

_As if the thought of Natasha wasn't already burning him._ His friend had no idea that every time Natasha was close, Steve felt his body ablaze with desire.

"You can't keep doing this, dude." Tony continued, oblivious to Steve's inner monologue, "You can't keep fucking her. You'll lose everything if someone finds out."

"No one will find out. She's going to graduate in five months and I think we can keep this a secret until then, Tony. I'm not you who can't keep anything to yourself."

He groaned, "This is insane! And for your information, I'm fully capable of keeping a secret. But my life is so interesting that it would be a crime not to share it with the world."

Steve retorted, "I thought you were the one who told me to sleep with her."

"Yeah, well, I never thought you would actually go and do it!" He rubbed his temple and took a few deep breaths to calm himself, "Steve, this is wrong. I know we were joking about this weird kinky fantasy, but I never imagined you truly crossing that line."

"I like her, Tony." The blond simply said, "That's all that matters."

"You know, she's not gonna be the one who let everyone know about this relationship, Steve. You are."

Steve raised his eyebrows, "Care to explain?"

"I know you all my life, buddy." Tony deadpanned, "Your jealousy and overprotectiveness will cause a scene sooner or later."

"I'm a grown ass man, Tony, I can control myself. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being protective of someone you really care about."

"Are you really sure about this girl? Are you really willing to risk everything just for a good fuck with her?"

"I will risk anything to be with her. Not just for a good fuck." He scowled at him, "And you really should stop saying that I only want her for sex because I'm not. I've very deep feelings for her."

Tony couldn't believe his ears, "DEEP FEELINGS?! ARE YOU FREAKING OUT OF YOUR MIND? Oh! You're talking about deep feelings in your pants, right, Steve?!" He sighed, "This is so not you, man."

"I've changed, Tony." Steve replied in a calm voice, "I want something that could last forever. I can't just keep sleeping around like you anymore."

The brown-haired man sank down on the couch, still working on believing what he just heard. Steve wasn't the type of guy who would settle down easily, but now here he was, telling Tony this girl could be the love of his life.

"So… you're okay with me being with her, right?"

Tony was quiet for a moment before he finally turned to look at his friend, "Yeah. You're my best friend and if she makes you happy, then that's all I care about. I'll help you keep this little secret but it will come at a high cost, buddy."

Steve nodded with a smile, "Thanks, man."

"I can see why you want to keep hitting that." Tony whistled appreciatively, "I mean, she's hot! Like, totally hot. And sexy, very sexy!"

"She's mine, Stark." He threatened, "And believe me, you don't wanna fight me on this."

"Geez, okay. Chill, dude. I'm not gonna steal your girl from you."

"Good to know."

* * *

><p>Natasha came out of the library twenty minutes later to join Steve and Tony in the living room. Steve was very nervous about the outcome of her conversation with Barton. He knew they didn't need Barton's or Tony's approval on their relationship, but he was hoping they would at least be okay with it. When he saw Natasha walking to him with a wide smile on her face, it did lessen his worry. She stopped at his side and leaned up to peck him on the lips. Clint appeared a second later, looking like he was about ready to attack Steve any moment.<p>

"So…"

Steve started but Clint cut him off, "I can fully say that I still don't approve of you two together..." He glanced at Natasha, "But I only want my best girl to be happy."

Steve immediately stiffened at Clint's pet name for Natasha. He instinctively tightened his hold on her hand, causing Natasha to wince slightly. She touched his arm and only then did Steve loosen his grip. Both Tony and Clint noticed his reaction as Steve fixed a stern gaze on the younger man.

_Why did Barton call Natasha 'his best girl'? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Why did Natasha let the guy call her in such intimate manner, yet insisted there was nothing between them?_ Steve's mind was on overdrive once again as his jealousy took over, even with Natasha by his side.

He realized that he could never replace Barton in her life. The two were close and they clearly had a history together. Steve might not have known Natasha as well as Barton did, but he sure as hell would try his best to understand her better.

"That's what I meant about your jealousy issue." Tony spoke up, effectively breaking the awkward silence.

"I'm not jealous, Tony. Shut up."

"Alright."

Natasha turned her attention to Steve's friend, "Are you okay with Steve and I, Mr. Stark?"

"Please, just call me Tony, sweetheart." The billionaire replied, "Even if I try to convince you not to do this, I'm sure you both will just ignore me anyway so I'm not gonna say anything."

"So... does that mean you're fine with us being together?"

"Yes, dear. Just make sure you don't break his heart. I've never seen him acted like this around anyone."

"Wait!" Clint suddenly chimed in, "If anyone is going to break someone's heart, it's your friend who is likely to break my girl's heart!"

Thus the two men entered into a heated argument and both Steve and Natasha had to stop them before it got worse. The couple understood that their friends were concerned about them hurting each other, but Steve and Natasha promised they would try their best to make this relationship work.

"Alright. I truly hope you both know what you're doing." It was as close to a blessing that they could get from Clint.

"Yeah, what he said." Tony agreed before checking his watch, "I'm gonna head out now because I have a meeting. Anyway, congratulations guys!"

Later in the evening, Natasha convinced Steve to let her go back to her apartment despite his protest and continuous plea for her to stay at his penthouse. She won the argument in the end, and now Steve was dropping her off at her place.

"You're going to be okay without me tonight, right?" She asked while sitting on his lap and kissing him. His limo was already parked in front of her building but Steve had a problem letting her go.

"No, I'm not gonna be okay without you by my side, love." He replied between kisses, "I might have to sleep on the couch tonight because my bed is too cold without you."

"Tomorrow you'll have me back in your apartment, lover boy."

"Okay…"

Natasha gave him another passionate kiss before opening the door and got out of his limo.

"Goodnight, Steve."

"See you tomorrow, Natasha." He smiled at her, "And goodnight."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Thursday<em>**

Steve did end up sleeping on the couch last night because his bed now felt too big for one person. He missed Natasha so bad. When morning finally came, Steve was more than eager to leave for the university.

He was in his office preparing for today's class when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Steve said without looking up. But the sound of the door being locked caught his attention and he tore his eyes from the papers, smiling widely when he saw who it was, "Morning, Miss Romanov."

"So, this is how we do it?" Natasha asked as she sauntered her way to him and easily sat on his lap, "We're going to keep calling each other the formal way?"

"It's the only way to avoid suspicions."

"Hmm, that means I shouldn't kiss you too, huh?" She said teasingly and Steve immediately tightened his embrace.

"Don't say that, dear. It would be hell if I couldn't kiss you."

Their lips met in a sweet kiss. Steve missed her so much even though they had only been separated for twelve hours. If it were up to him, he would rather spend all of his time with Natasha. But Steve would also put her needs above his own, and he would do anything to make her happy.

"I should go." She murmured against his lips.

"Maybe I should cancel this class so we can go home and have some time to ourselves."

She shoved him playfully, "Steve Rogers, you're not a teenager anymore."

"Ha-ha." He let out a sarcastic laugh, "But you make me feel like I'm a college kid again."

Natasha chuckled, "You're welcome. Now, I better go." She kissed him one last time then got up from his lap and straightened her outfit, "See you in class, Mr. Rogers."

"See you in ten minutes, Miss Romanov."

When Steve came into the class, everyone was already there. His eyes quickly searched for the certain redhead and he was met with a pair of twinkling green eyes. Natasha had a sly grin on her face and Steve couldn't resist smiling back at her, even if no one in the classroom knew whom he was smiling to.

"Keep it to yourself, Natasha." But of course, Clint noticed. "Or else everyone will find out about you and the good professor. Stop giving each other heart eyes, okay?"

"It's really hard, Clint." She quietly whispered, eyes scanning around the room to make sure nobody heard them, "He's so cute and sexy at the same time. I mean, how is that even possible?"

"Oh my god, woman!" Clint hissed, "Keep it in your pants and wait until you get home with him."

A faint blush appeared on her face and Natasha ducked her head shyly, yet she couldn't put the bright smile away. Her eyes kept wandering back to her boyfriend. _She could call him that, right?_

She could see that Steve was trying very hard to concentrate on delivering his lesson. When he walked around the room later on to check on every student, he didn't stay too long at their workbench and tried to keep each conversation short. As always, Lorraine was more persistent and managed to get Steve to talk to her for a good ten minutes.

Natasha wasn't sure how to feel when she saw another girl flirted with her man. Perhaps she was slightly jealous. Then again, she had never really liked Lorraine. The more Natasha thought about it, the more she felt silly for worrying about her place in Steve's heart. He was hers and she was his. And that was all that mattered.

Steve finally reached their workstations, but he went over to Clint first and briefly complimented him on his work before moving on to Natasha. Lucky for them, her workbench was at a rather dark corner so no one could see them from behind the big easel. Steve stepped closer to her from behind, hands resting on her shoulders as he bent down to give a quick kiss on her neck.

"Are you crazy?" Natasha was definitely surprised, although deep down she secretly loved his boldness.

"You said it yourself I should be more adventurous."

"And you're the one who told me that we should be discreet about this." She pouted, "We do need to work on our plan again."

He gave her a warm smile, "Yeah."

"Now, how about my work?"

Steve pulled away from her to take a good look at it. His blue eyes carefully assessed her work before replying, "It's definitely better than your previous one."

She eyed him warily, "Don't tell me you're saying that because of…uhh…our thing?"

"No, Miss Romanov. You're clearly improving and this work… it just… I feel like you're finally able to unleash something in you that you've locked deep inside." He continued, "Your previous works gave me the feeling that you were holding something back."

Natasha smiled at him. _He was probably the one who unlocked that particular something inside her. Perhaps in her case, having a feeling for someone helped too._

"You're doing better, Natasha. On your way to get that A you really want."

"Thank you, Mr. Rogers."

"You're welcome, Miss Romanov."

* * *

><p>They didn't see each other again after the morning class and for the rest of the day. Natasha had been a little distracted all day because she really missed Steve. <em>Was this what being in a relationship felt like? She would like to believe he felt the same way too.<em>

Her last class ended at 3 PM and she quickly told Clint that she wouldn't be working at the coffee shop today because she wanted to spend the rest of the day with Steve.

Steve texted to let her know that he was waiting for her in his limo. The car was parked around the corner so no one would notice her getting in. Once inside, Natasha pulled him into a searing kiss that left both of them panting.

"Steve Rogers, you had a very good time messing with me in class today, huh?"

"Well, Miss Romanov, I was just having a little fun teasing my girlfriend."

"It's not funny and you're gonna pay for it. It was a very bold and dumb move on your part!" She fake threatened, "You can sleep on your couch again tonight."

"NO!" Steve might have said it too fast and Natasha smiled to herself, knowing that she already won the fight. "You promise you'll say at my apartment tonight."

"Yeah, but I change my mind after that stunt you pulled."

"No, I'm sorry, baby."

Natasha burst into giggles, "It's okay, Steve. I'm just messing with you." She brought her hand up to caress his cheek and he turned his face to kiss her palm.

"So, will we be adventurous or discreet?"

"Maybe a little bit of both." She smirked and moved up to sit on his lap, "Let me be the adventurous one, okay, old man?"

"Fine…" He sighed, "And I'm not that old."

They spent the rest of the ride to his penthouse bantering about their age difference. When they arrived at his place, Natasha told him that she had to do the homework Steve gave to their class, and so he led her to his art studio.

Natasha gasped when she stepped inside his workshop, "Wow!"

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, Steve." She gushed, looking around the spacious room in admiration, "This is amazing. I feel like I'm in art heaven!"

Steve smiled and leaned down to kiss her, hands settling on her hips and slowly lifting up her small body with ease as he deepened the kiss. When things started to get more heated, he forced himself to set her down because otherwise, they would end up making passionate love in his studio and Natasha forgetting her homework.

"Dinner at seven." He told her when they pulled away, "Enjoy working, darling. Everything in this room is yours to use."

"Thank you."

Steve left Natasha with her homework and went to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. Later on while they were eating together, Steve's delicious version of coq au vin, she asked him again if they could go out for a romantic dinner some time. He regrettably turned her down again, saying it was too risky to be seen outside together. Steve wanted more than anything to show the world that Natasha was his, but he couldn't be selfish either. He had to first consider what the consequences would be for Natasha. Her future was his priority, it was as simple as that.

So they stayed in and watched some random TV show. She sat on his lap and snuggled closer as Steve held her tight. When the show was over, she saw that her boyfriend had dozed off. Since she couldn't carry him back to the bedroom, Natasha gently pushed his body down on the couch and then positioned herself to lie comfortably on top of him. Closing her eyes, she allowed the steady beating of his heart lull her to sleep.

* * *

><p>Natasha woke up again the next morning in Steve's arms, but she soon noticed they were no longer on the couch. She was in his bed, which meant Steve must have carried her up here sometime during the night. <em>How could a guy that big and strong be so gentle that she didn't even wake up when he lifted her? <em>

That thought alone made her smile and she pressed herself closer to him. His arms tightened around her and his lips began showering her neck with soft kisses. Natasha rolled over on her side to face him.

"Steve..." She nudged at his side.

He slowly opened his eyes, "Hmm?"

"Um, you might wanna get up and do something with your…" Natasha trailed off as her eyes took note of the obvious tent in his boxer.

Steve was silent for a moment before he caught up with what she was referring to, "Oh, my apology. Men tend to have this problem in the morning."

She giggled uncontrollably, a sound that Steve found very endearing. "Does that usually happen?"

"Sometimes. Wait, you don't know about this?"

"Well, I never woke up in bed with a man before... but I've heard about it."

He smiled affectionately and released her from his embrace, pulling away slightly to adjust his erected manhood.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Natasha couldn't help but teased. The grin Steve gave in return made her realize she shouldn't have asked that question.

"I would love that..." Steve replied and kissed her, "But I've a class to teach this morning. Miss Jones asked me to fill in for her. Now, I've only about half an hour to get to the university." He stood up, "And you have a class too, love."

"I'm just gonna cozy here for a moment."

Steve pecked her lips and went off to take a shower. He emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, fully dressed in his suit.

"I'm sorry I can't cook you breakfast today, sweetheart."

"It's okay. Go to your class, I'll see you again this afternoon."

He kissed her again, "I miss you already."

* * *

><p>Steve came home alone later that afternoon because Natasha told him she was already at his apartment. He walked into his bedroom and frowned at the sight of Natasha sprawling out on the bed.<p>

"You're still at the same place I left you this morning." He scolded, "Don't tell me you skipped classes today."

She looked up from her phone, "Yeah, kinda lazy... and a bit sore."

"You shouldn't miss your classes, Natasha."

"Loosen up a little. It's not a big deal." She shrugged it off and lied back down on the bed.

"You skipped school, Natasha. I thought you want to graduate with straight A."

"I'm a grown up, Steve. I can do whatever I want."

"Not on my watch. You will go to class every day. Our activity at night will not interfere with our life outside the bedroom."

She smirked at him, "And here I thought you would be glad coming home to find me naked in bed waiting for you."

"I want that too." His gaze softened, "But I also need to think about your future. It's my priority now. I put my needs beneath you, love."

Natasha wrapped the blanket around her naked form and walked to him, circling her arms around his neck.

"I'm very lucky to have such a considerate boyfriend like you." She looked deeply into his eyes, "But you really don't need to worry about this. Trust me to handle my own life, Steve. I'm a grown up."

He tucked a few strands of her crimson locks behind her ear, "Okay, sweetheart. I only want what is best for you."

"I know. Thank you."

Without waiting for a reply, Natasha kissed her man passionately and pushed him down on the bed so she could thank him properly for being so thoughtful.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	10. Dating A Fossil

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong>10: Dating A Fossil<strong>

The first two weeks of their relationship had turned out much better than Steve and Natasha expected. To their surprise, both Clint and Tony managed to keep their secret safe. Tony might have on few occasions almost spilled about Steve dating his out-of-this-world-sexy 22 years-old student, but the billionaire did have better control of himself and he was able to hold his tongue in the end.

Their friends often stopped by Steve's apartment to check on the couple. Clint mostly wanted to make sure that Natasha was doing fine, and whether she was really happy with Steve. He often came to join them for dinner because he figured it could save him some money and at the same time, he got to keep an eye on Natasha. Steve never said anything and continued to be the generous host that he was.

As for Tony, he liked hanging out with the couple because, well, Natasha was hot. The reason had earned him a deadly glare from Steve, who later considered if he should just throw his friend out of the building and banned him from seeing Natasha ever again. To Steve's amazement, Natasha and Tony hit it off straightaway. The two bonded over weird little things, like right now, they were laughing silly over Tony's tale on Steve's most embarrassing moment.

"Can you two stop laughing? It was just that one time! Also, it was clearly Tony's fault since he was the one who pulled down my sweatpants in the middle of the gym!"

"What, Steve? It's funny!" Natasha giggled and Tony had a shit-eating grin on his face, clearly enjoying Steve's discomfort. "And I need to hear more of your epic childhood stories."

"Seriously though, he nearly made half of the girls in our gym class faint after they saw him in just his Calvin Klein underwear."

"Aww, half of the women in New York witnessed that?"

"You two make the worst nightmare…" Steve grumbled as Natasha and Tony burst into another round of laughter, "Tony, you should go home now."

"Aw, no! At least let me finish this beer first."

"You're not welcome for dinner with us again."

"You're welcome here for dinner anytime, Tony Stark." Natasha corrected, casting an amused smile in Steve's direction.

"I'm starting to like her more than you, Rogers."

Steve merely shook his head and went back to cooking their dinner. Although he refused to admit it out loud, Steve was happy to see his girlfriend and best friend got along really well. The only downside was that he didn't make as great of a progress with Barton. Steve supposed the guy would never really accept the fact that his teacher was now screwing his best friend. Barton had every reason to doubt Steve, because given his powerful status, he could do as he pleased and ended up hurting Natasha.

Of course that wasn't true. Steve deeply cared for Natasha, even if Barton wasn't totally convinced with his feelings for her. Still, their mutual affection for the girl they both cared about was the only thing that had Clint and Steve act civil around each other.

Problem was, Steve was having a difficult time trying to adjust with the level of physical contacts between his girlfriend and Barton. They always shared these little intimate gestures, which Steve found quite upsetting. _Wasn't it at all strange that a man and a woman who weren't in a romantic relationship behaved that way?_

One very recent example was when Clint and Tony came to Steve's apartment for dinner together with the couple that Thursday. Natasha and Clint volunteered to cook because Tony needed Steve to help him look over some business proposals. Steve however couldn't focus, always sneaking glances at his girlfriend only to find she was laughing happily at some joke Barton must have told her. Their cooking soon turned into a little food fight, which led to Clint holding Natasha in his arms to lock her in place.

"Okay, okay! I surrender!" Natasha squealed while trying wiggle out of his hold.

Clint chuckled, "You suck, Red."

Their faces were only inches away from each other and Steve instantly stiffened. A part of him wanted to march over there and drag Natasha as far away from Barton as possible. He wanted to keep her away from any man for that matter. Tony obviously noticed his silent anger because Steve almost crushed the wine glass in his hand.

Thankfully, Clint jumped away when Natasha put an egg on his head. Steve visibly relaxed after seeing a bit of a distance between them. Tony could tell that Steve was going to say something about this soon. His friend would try to keep it together, but he would reach his breaking point eventually. And knowing Steve, he wouldn't be able to hold it much longer.

For his part, Steve worked hard to get himself used to their closeness. He just had to learn to accept that he couldn't have Natasha all to himself. Except when they were finally alone again. When Natasha was back in his arms once again, and she was kissing him for all his worth. When he made sweet love to her and his name fell repeatedly from her lips in a breathless cry of pleasure. When it was just the two of them, it was easy for Steve to forget everything, and everyone else.

* * *

><p>Clint had been teasing Natasha relentlessly ever since she and Steve announced their relationship. He would be annoying her to no end, telling her that she was dating a fossil even after Natasha defended that her boyfriend was only 7 years older than she.<p>

"He's not that old, Clint!" She claimed for the hundredth time, "I'm pretty sure he looks younger than you."

He waved her off, "Oh please."

"Well, he's definitely in better shape than you. Wait until you see his abs."

"I do not wish to see your boyfriend's abs, ever. And you only say that because you're sleeping with him every night."

"Not every night! I do stay at my apartment sometimes."

Clint shrugged, "Whatever. He's still a fossil to me. You know, I never thought you were into older guys."

"I don't actually have a type." Natasha casually replied, "What happened between Steve and I... I don't know, it just happened. There's already this spark from the beginning... and it just feels right, being with him."

"The sex must be really spectacular if you keep coming back to him."

She grinned at him, "You can say that."

"God! No, I don't need to hear it..." He quickly covered his ears as Natasha went on to describe the details of her sex life, mostly to annoy Clint.

She was bored and there weren't many customers at the coffee shop that Friday afternoon. Clint and Natasha spent most of their shift just chatting among themselves and joking around.

"Hey, your boyfriend is here." Clint nodded to where Steve was just getting out of his limo and leaning against it.

She had about ten minutes until her shift was over so Steve texted her that he would be waiting right around the corner. As soon as she finished, Natasha bid Clint a quick goodbye and hurried off to meet Steve. She literally jumped inside the car and landed on her boyfriend. They began making out furiously once David closed the door.

"As much as I miss you, I need to stay at my place tonight."

Steve pouted at that, "But it's Friday."

"I know, but I've a lot of homework that I want to get done by tonight so I could spend my weekend with you without anything to worry." She explained with a smile.

"Okay." He then lowered the partition, "David, to Miss Romanov's apartment, please."

"Yes, sir."

Steve resumed his make-out session with Natasha. He was pinning her down on the seat and kissing her feverishly when they arrived at Natasha's apartment. David notified his boss once he parked the car in front of the building.

Natasha was trying to push Steve off of her, but he was too strong. "You'll have me all to yourself tomorrow, Steve." She laughed at his protest, "Patience, lover boy. Good things come to those who wait."

He groaned and reluctantly got off of her, "Fine. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

She told Steve he didn't need to walk her to her room, and then planted another kiss on his lips before waving goodbye and walking inside. Steve waited until Natasha was out of sight before he drove off.

* * *

><p>They had a video chat during dinner. Natasha was having Chinese takeout while Steve was eating spaghetti. Their conversation flowed easily, it was almost as if they were in the same room instead of a phone call away. Steve didn't say it out loud, but he was about to go crazy the longer he was away from Natasha. Once dinner was finished, she blew him a kiss through the screen and said she needed to get back to her homework. Steve couldn't help but smile at his adorable girlfriend.<p>

"I'll call you later when I go to bed."

"Okay." He said, "I miss you."

"Miss you too."

Steve tried to busy himself with work but to no avail. Even sketching was out of the question. He kept thinking of Natasha and how much he missed her. He considered calling her again, but he knew she must have still been busy with homework. Steve was pacing back and forth, hoping to kill time, but it also didn't help. It was only 8 PM and he was about to lose it, so he immediately called David to pick him up.

Ten minutes later, Steve was standing in front of her door.

Natasha's eyes widened in surprise when she saw him, "What the hell are you-"

He stopped her with a desperate kiss and pulled her close as he lifted her small body off of her feet, "I'm about to go crazy without you, Natasha." He murmured against her lips and carried her inside.

"Steve! I still have to finish my homework." She ordered, "Put me down!"

He chuckled as Natasha wriggled in his embrace, "Can we just make out before you go back to work?"

"No! But you can sit here quietly and wait until I'm done."

With a laugh, Steve set her down and let her go back to working on her sculpture, but his eyes never left her. He took note of Natasha in her apron, and her red curls that were now pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looked so cute that Steve couldn't resist snatching a blank paper and a pencil and began drawing the perfection in front of him.

They were both working silently for a while with only the sounds of Natasha's wooden chisel and Steve's pencil grazing the paper. Every now and then, their eyes met and they would exchange shy little smiles before continuing with their respective work. Finally two hours later, Natasha announced that her work was done.

"I will go take a shower." She told Steve, who briefly looked up from his sketch and nodded.

She sauntered pass her boyfriend before turning to face him again with a sly smile, "Care to join me?"

Natasha smirked at how fast Steve dropped everything and followed her inside the bathroom. They got into the bathtub together and she leaned back against his chest. Steve encased her in his arms and helped her cleaning up as his lips trailed kisses on her soft skin.

"Don't fall asleep yet, sweetheart." He whispered and lightly nibbled on her earlobe.

"I'm just relaxing." She replied and tilted her head back to kiss him.

After a good half hour, Steve carried her out of the tub so they both could dry off. By the time he picked Natasha up again and carried her to the bed, she was already half asleep. _She must have been really exhausted._

Kissing her forehead gently, he whispered, "Good night, my love."

Natasha smiled sleepily and murmured back, "Night night, Steve."

Steve made sure that she was sleeping soundly before he went back to his apartment.

* * *

><p>She woke up to the smell of pancakes and her favorite Chamomile tea. Blinking a few times, her sleep-induced mind wondered who was in her kitchen this early in the morning. <em>It was probably Clint stealing her food again.<em> Natasha groaned groggily as she got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen.

"Clint, there's no leftover pizza in my fridge!" She muttered in annoyance while trying to adjust her sleepwear, "And you know I don't drink coffee so there's no coffee in my cabinet either!"

"Morning, Natasha." The voice stopped Natasha in her tracks and she was fully awake all of a sudden. There, standing in her kitchen and making her breakfast, was none other than Steve Rogers.

He turned around and smiled at her, "Tea is ready. Pancakes will be ready in two minutes. I've also picked up some groceries for you since I noticed there wasn't much left in your fridge and cabinet."

Natasha blinked, trying to let everything sink in. _Her boyfriend was in her kitchen._ She blinked again to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"How the hell did you get in here?" She finally croaked out, voice still raspy from sleep.

"Uh-you have a key under your doormat." Steve replied sheepishly, then his expression turned serious, "Which I highly recommend you not to do because it's too dangerous and you live here alone."

"How long have you been here?"

"About three hours. I couldn't sleep anyway."

He began telling her about his night but Natasha quickly silenced him with a kiss that made Steve forget about everything else except the feel of her lips against his.

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Rogers."

He made an approval sound and resumed kissing her.

"Steve, my breakfast…"

"Right." He released her from his embrace and went back to flipping the pancakes.

They enjoyed a quiet breakfast together before things started to get heated. After an hour of passionate make-out session, Steve carried Natasha back into the bedroom and the couple ended up staying in there for the rest of the day. It was the first time they did it at her apartment.

The last round they did it, Natasha almost blacked out and now she was too sore to move. Steve collapsed on top of her but his mouth continued to pepper kisses on her skin.

"Do you think my neighbors heard us?"

"I think the entire New York City heard us, darling." He smiled against her neck, "You weren't exactly quiet."

She slapped his arm playfully, "Stop it. You're the one who made me do all of that."

"Hmm? Now it's my fault?"

"Yeah, you wanted me to scream your name, remember?"

"I do love it when you did that."

They lied there quietly side-by-side, trying to catch their breath. When Natasha could finally move her body again, she found that her boyfriend was already asleep. That was when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. _Why couldn't he sleep last night?_ She looked at him lovingly and pressed a tender kiss on his cheek. Curling herself around his body, she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

They slept for about three hours until the ringing from Natasha's phone interrupted their peaceful slumber. Steve mumbled incoherently as Natasha crawled over his body to grab her phone.

"Hey, Clint." She greeted the person on the other line.

"There's a party at Bucky's tonight. You wanna come?"

"No, I think I'm just gonna stay in with my boyfriend."

"Come on, Nat. Everyone's going!"

"I'm tired, Clint."

But Clint was being rather persistent so Steve took the phone from her, "Barton, this is Natasha's boyfriend. We just had sex in every possible way you could imagine so we kinda need some sleep right now."

"EWWW!"

"See you on Monday, Mr. Barton, and enjoy your party."

With that, Steve hung up and handed Natasha her phone back, "Let's go back to sleep, darling." Natasha let out a low chuckle and did as he said.

Sunday was spent leisurely at Steve's penthouse. The couple mostly just lazed around and watched a few movies. At some point, Steve challenged Natasha to a game of Mario Kart and his girlfriend surprised him with her exceptional skill in it.

"Clint made me do it." Natasha said by way of explanation as she continued to defeat him in the game.

They ended the night with the same routine, which was with another round of vigorous lovemaking session that left them both breathless yet completely sated.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Monday<em>**

Steve woke her up by going down on her, and then proceeded to make love to her so sweetly that Natasha felt boneless afterwards. She was now lying limply in bed, panting and utterly sore while Steve was kissing all over body. She could feel that he was about to go for another round because his cock was already hard again.

"Stop it, Steve." Natasha shoved him playfully, "I'm still sore from all the sex we had."

"But…"

"No 'but', lover boy." She tugged lightly at his hair, "I have class and you make it really hard for me to get up."

But Steve ignored her and brought his lips down to suck on her nipple, eliciting a throaty moan from Natasha.

"I have to go to work too."

"At the coffee shop?"

"Hmm..."

"You don't have to." He said, looking into her beautiful green eyes, "How much do they pay you?"

"$9 per hour. Why?"

"I will cover that so you don't need to work there again."

She rolled her eyes, "Now I'm accepting cash from you."

"I don't mean it that way, Natasha." Steve explained, "I just want to be with you and you don't have to work there when I can afford everything that you need."

"Can you buy me a country?"

"Does a private island count?"

"It can be."

Natasha kissed him and stared into his loving blue eyes, "I still need to go to work."

"But you don't have to."

"I know. I want to."

"Fine, I'll pick you up after work."

She smiled and kissed him again, "You're the best."

"I know." He gave her a mischievous smile, "Does that mean we can have sex one more time before we leave?"

Steve pinned her back down on the bed without waiting for an answer. Natasha's giggles echoed through the bedroom, which soon muffled by Steve's mouth sealing their lips together in a demanding kiss. _Yeah, like she could ever resist him._

* * *

><p>They spent most of their day separately. Steve was busy with classes and staff meeting in the afternoon. Similarly, Natasha had classes all day and a scheduled appointment with her Applied Fine Arts professor to discuss her project outline.<p>

She couldn't be happier once she was done with her last subject of the day. Natasha met up with Clint, who was already waiting for her outside the classroom. They were about to leave the university for their shift at the coffee shop when a familiar voice called out.

"Hey, guys!" A tall brunette stood in front of them and grinned at their stunned expression.

"Maria!" Clint and Natasha chorused at the same time and went to hug their friend.

Clint was first to speak, "Long time no see, girl. Did you just get back?"

"How have you been?" Natasha chimed in.

Maria Hill went to high school with Clint and Natasha. She was also attending the same university as the two, but studying a different major. Maria was a Business student who had spent the past year doing internship overseas.

"I'm doing great. Just came back from Europe. I've to submit my first half of the thesis before I return to London in a couple of weeks." She looked at her friends, "You guys still stick tight together, huh?"

"Yeah, no one wants to be our friend." Natasha joked, earning a chuckle from Maria.

"Are you guys doing anything tonight?" Maria asked, "Do you wanna hang out? Catch up a little?"

"Yeah, sure." Clint replied, "Our friend Sam is bartending at this new bar in Brooklyn. We can go there and check it out after Nat and I finish our shift."

"Sounds good."

While Clint and Maria continued to exchange stories, Natasha silently slipped away to call her boyfriend.

Steve answered after the second ring, "Hey, darling. Is your shift over? I'll come and pick you up right away."

"No, I just want to tell you that I'll be hanging out with Clint tonight. Our friend just got back in town so we're all going to this new bar in Brooklyn to catch up."

"Oh…"

"You don't have to pick me up."

"Barton will be your ride, right? Or do you need me to pick you up at the bar?"

"No, that's okay. Clint will drop me off at my apartment later."

"Okay, have a good time, sweetheart. Call me if you need anything."

"I will."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too, Steve."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	11. Her Protector

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong>11: Her Protector<strong>

After Natasha and Clint finished their shift at the coffee shop, the two friends and Maria went back to Natasha's apartment because the redhead insisted on changing her clothes to a more proper outfit for the night out with her friends. But when she stepped out to the living room in a low-cut tight-fitting red dress that fell above the knees, Clint knew he needed to say something about it.

"I'm pretty sure your boyfriend will not approve of this." He said, looking her over, "I mean, don't get me wrong, you look hot, Tasha! But isn't that dress a bit too revealing?"

True her dress was quite revealing, but Natasha figured it had been a while since she dressed up to impress. She just wanted to look amazing for her first night out since she dated Steve. Besides, she looked both sexy and sophisticated in her current outfit. It would be a crime not to wear the dress now.

"That's why he must not know anything about this." Natasha replied casually as she smoothed out her dress, effectively ending the argument. She knew Clint only brought Steve up as an excuse for his own protectiveness of her.

"You date a guy and didn't tell me right away?" Maria pouted, "I need all the details, girl!"

"I need a few drinks first before we start talking about my relationship."

"Just tell me the general details. You can't ask me to wait until you've finished a few drinks, Nat." The brunette groaned, "God! I forgot just how good you really are at drinking. Seriously, you practically outdrink Clint the whole time!"

"In my defense, Russian runs in her blood."

Natasha smirked, "He's right. We Russians definitely can hold our liquor."

* * *

><p>The three of them took a cab to McLaren's Bar in Brooklyn where Sam Wilson, a friend of Clint and Natasha, worked as a bartender. They took a seat at one of the booths and Sam gave his friends the first round of drinks on the house.<p>

Maria began telling Natasha and Clint what she had been doing since she left for Europe almost a year ago. Her work as an intern in a shipping company was very challenging and detail-oriented. The only upsides were that she got to travel around and met a few nice guys whom she dated briefly.

In return, Clint and Natasha told Maria everything she had missed during her time overseas, including Natasha's recent relationship status. They avoided giving too many details about Steve, although from the look on Clint's face, Natasha knew he was trying very hard not to spill everything.

"I'm sure Nat has men lining up for her, single or not." Maria said with a teasing smirk, "I mean, half of the guys in the campus must be after you."

Clint glanced at his best friend and snickered, "Oh yeah, she's got like hundreds of guys chasing after her, but she turned them all down. Said she wasn't interested in dating." He playfully added, "But look at her now, having an actual boyfriend."

Natasha rolled her eyes good-naturedly, "Well, you were the one who kept telling me to find a boyfriend, remember?"

"How did you guys meet anyway?" Maria probed, curious about the guy who had caught the attention of Natasha Romanov.

"We met at the university."

"Is he cute?" Her friend asked again, obviously not satisfied with her previous answer.

"Yeah, he's cute." Natasha actually blushed a little, "He's really handsome and also a gentleman. He's the best guy a girl could ask for."

Maria gave her a sincere smile, "I'm happy for you, Nat. You deserve someone who really loves you."

Natasha hastily replied, "We've only started dating like three weeks ago, so I won't use the word 'love' just yet." She flashed a smile of her own, "But yeah... I can say that we're really crazy about each other."

"Plus, their sex is so spectacular that Tasha feels the need to brag it to me every time." Clint muttered under his breath.

Maria laughed and the two girls started teasing Clint about his lack of love life. The dark-blond retaliated by telling them it was Natasha's fault that he hadn't been able to get a girl, because everyone always assumed he and Natasha were together.

"It's not my fault those girls are too dumb to see that we're just friends."

Clint chuckled, "Well, can't really blame them. You're one of the most beautiful girls in our faculty, Nat, so of course they would all think that we're dating. Why else would you be with me?" He then motioned to a group of men sitting a few tables across from them, "Even now, you're attracting a lot of attention."

Natasha and Maria both turned their heads and followed Clint's gaze. Sure enough, most of the guys at the bar were checking her out, some slightly more disconcerting than others. The way those men were looking at her, Natasha was certain that if Steve were here, he would have got up from his seat and taught them some lesson with his fist for the sole purpose of protecting Natasha's honor.

"They can look but they can't touch, Barton." Maria waved them off dismissively, "Anyway, Nat is way out of their league!"

"You're too pretty for your own good." Clint said to the redhead, "Be careful, alright? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go talk to that beautiful blonde over there." He stood up and looked at his friends, "You two pretty girls look out for each other, okay?"

"Don't forget you have to drop me off at home, Clint!" Natasha reminded, causing Clint to retreat back to their booth.

"Shit! I completely forgot." Clint whined, "Aww, Nat, this is the first time in months I've a chance to score a girl."

"Fine, I'll take a cab home with Maria."

"You're the best!"

Clint left them and went to talk to the girl. Natasha watched her best friend strike up a conversation with her and she had to admit, the blonde girl was pretty. _Way to go, Clint!_ Natasha turned back to Maria and the two resumed their talk.

They were laughing over Maria's story about her colleague who pulled a prank on her boss when Natasha noticed they needed a refill on their drinks, "Hold on, let me get us more drinks first." She said between laughter and made her way to the bar.

Natasha was aware of all the eyes following her every movement but chose to ignore the perverted looks and walked up to Sam.

"Hey, girl!" He greeted and leaned over the bar to give her a hug, "You look nice."

"Thanks, Sam." She replied with a smile, "I'll have two Bud Light, please."

"Coming right up!"

Sam turned to grab her beers when a voice sounded from behind Natasha.

"Hey, put her drinks on my tab." A guy, probably in his early thirties, suddenly appeared next to her, "Beautiful lady like you shouldn't pay for anything."

"Thank you but the lady will pay for her own drinks." Natasha faked a smile at him and handed Sam the money. She took the beer bottles and spoke again, "Excuse me, my friend is waiting for me."

But the guy didn't give up easily, "Can you just give me a chance to talk to you? I don't take no for an answer. I'm Greg by the way."

"Hi, Greg. My answer is no. I already have a boyfriend so I'm not interested in you."

With that, she walked away and went back to her booth. Greg, however, kept his brown eyes fixed on Natasha before he finally followed her to the table and sat down next to her. Maria found it somewhat amusing how persistent this guy was trying to hit on her friend.

"Your boyfriend isn't here right now so why don't we have a little fun together back at my place?" Greg offered and put his hand on her thigh, "I know you want it, girl."

Natasha immediately slapped his hand away and glared icily, "Not in a million years, you pervert! Why don't you just go back to your friends or go hit on someone else who is actually available!"

"I'm here by myself, sweet cheeks, so I've all night to convince you to change your mind and come home with me."

"She already turned you down twice, dude." Maria chimed in, "Don't embarrass yourself any further."

This time Greg did get up and left. Both Natasha and Maria didn't see him again after that so they figured he must have been too embarrassed and decided to go home.

Clint came over half an hour later to say goodbye because he was leaving with the blonde girl he talked to earlier.

"Good night, girls!"

Natasha kissed his cheek, "See you tomorrow, Clint."

* * *

><p>Natasha and Maria continued to enjoy their time catching up and swapping silly stories. However, they were constantly interrupted by guys who came up to hit on either, or both of them.<p>

"Why is it so difficult for a guy to understand when a girl says she's not interested, she clearly means it?" Natasha sighed in annoyance after turning down the tenth guy who asked her out. "My boyfriend understood it perfectly when I told him to leave me alone."

"Maybe we should just leave." Maria added, "This place is becoming full of weirdoes."

"Yeah, I won't come back here again unless they keep those perverts out of the bar."

"Couldn't agree more. Shall we?"

"I'll just go to the restroom real quick."

Natasha stood up and made a beeline for the restroom. The place was eerily empty so she quickly took care of her business. When she came out of the bathroom stall, she was shocked to find Greg standing there. His hand moved to lock the door as he raked his eyes over her body in a predatory gaze.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I told you I don't take no for an answer." He crept towards her and Natasha backed away slowly until her back was pressed against the wall.

Greg had now cornered her and she was about to shove him away but he caught her arms and pinned them above her head. "I like my bitch to fight back so I can go rough with her." He growled near her ear before started licking her earlobe.

Natasha squirmed and tried to push him off of her but he was too strong. "You're playing hard to get, huh? I'll show you the consequences of playing hard to get, bitch!"

He kissed her roughly but Natasha tilted her head and pressed her lips tightly together. She kept trying to push him away but she was no match for his strength. His left hand now gripped hard at her hip as his right hand squeezed her behind. When he trailed his lips down her neck, Natasha started screaming for help.

Ten seconds later, the door was kicked open and Sam emerged with his male coworker. They immediately pulled Greg away from Natasha. Maria quickly rushed in to hold Natasha and lead her out of the restroom. Sam and his friend, Trip threw Greg out of the bar and warned him to never come back again.

Natasha was still shaken up by what just happened. She looked terrified so Maria called Clint, but he didn't pick up the phone. Sam returned a moment later to check on Natasha.

"Are you alright?" He looked at her with worry.

Natasha shook her head, "No…I…."

"It's okay, Natasha. He's gone." Sam patted her shoulder but she flinched at the touch.

He slightly frowned before turning to Maria, "I think you better take her home."

"Yeah." Maria nodded and wrapped an arm around her friend, "Come on, Nat. Let's go home and get some rest."

The two girls thanked Sam and Trip before walking out of the bar. But as soon as they stepped out of the door, Natasha saw her assailant standing right across the road, watching them. She quickly pushed a confused Maria back inside the bar.

"What is it, Nat?"

"He's still here, Maria." She repeated, her voice quivering with fear, "That guy is still here!"

"Is there anyone else you can call other than Clint? How about your boyfriend, or other male friends?"

"I'll call him."

"Who's him?"

"My boyfriend."

With shaky hands, Natasha pulled out her phone and dialed Steve's number. She was so relieved when he answered right away.

"Hey, sweetheart."

"Steve..." She stuttered, "Can you come pick me up at the bar? Please..."

"Natasha, are you alright?"

"No…." She was trying to hold back the tears, "There's a guy… and he…he…was..."

"Text me the name of the bar and the address. Stay where you are, I'll be there in five minutes." He assured, "Everything will be alright, sweetheart. I'll be there soon."

* * *

><p>Steve arrived at McLaren's exactly five minutes later. He was wearing a baseball cap and rimmed glasses so not to be recognized. His eyes quickly searched for Natasha and found her standing over to the side of the bar. She looked up as he was nearing her and immediately, she ran up to him and hugged him tight.<p>

"Natasha, I'm here now." He rubbed her back soothingly, trying to stop her shaking.

She tightened her hold and buried her face in his chest, "Steve…"

"What happened? Did someone try to hurt you?"

But Natasha refused to answer. She was afraid that Steve might be disgusted by the fact that some guy had touched her, someone that wasn't him. A strangled sob escaped her lips and Steve pulled away slightly to look into her eyes.

"Sweetheart, you have to tell me what's going on."

"There's a guy who tried to take advantage of her." Maria spoke up, "He hit on her earlier but she turned him down. We thought he had left, but it turns out he was waiting until Nat was alone. Thankfully her friend Sam came in time with his coworker to help Nat."

Steve looked at the brunette, only just noticing her presence, "I don't believe we've met. I'm Steve, her boyfriend."

"Maria. I'm friends with Natasha and Clint."

"Where's Barton?"

"He left some time ago."

"Who is this guy by the way?"

"Don't worry about it, Steve." Natasha gazed up at him, "Just take me home, please."

"No, I have to deal with this the proper way." He replied in a firm tone, which made Natasha whimpered and broke eye contact with him. Steve immediately softened, "Darling, tell me where he is?"

Natasha just kept quiet and held on to him tighter so Steve turned to Maria.

"We saw him outside the bar when we were trying to leave." She answered before Steve could ask again, "He was standing across the street, most likely waiting for Nat. It's the guy in black leather jacket." Maria swore she saw his blue eyes burning with rage.

Steve let go off Natasha and strode out of the bar in furious speed. The two girls ran after him, but Steve was faster. He easily spotted Natasha's attacker and walked straight to him. He grabbed the man by the collar, dragging him into the alley and slammed him hard against the wall.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY GIRLFRIEND?!" Steve bellowed angrily.

"That slut is your girl?"

Any further remark Greg might have voiced was stopped by Steve's fist hitting him on the face. _No one insulted his girl. NO ONE._ Natasha was now shouting at him to stop, but Steve ignored her. He let his rage took over as he continued throwing angry punches at Greg.

"STEVE, ENOUGH!"

He delivered the last punch that instantly knocked Greg out. Steve was breathing heavily, adrenaline still running high with fury.

Natasha approached him slowly, "Steve... can we go home now?" Her eyes were pleading with him, "Please..."

His anger dissipated slightly when he looked at her, "Okay." Steve took her hand and then glanced at Maria, "I can drop you home if you want."

Maria nodded and followed the couple to Steve's limo. She gave David her address and climbed inside the car with Natasha and Steve. Maria silently observed the pair, noting that Steve must have been a few years older and that he was extremely rich. Clint and Natasha hadn't told her much about Steve during their earlier conversation back at the bar, but she could tell that the guy truly cared about Natasha.

* * *

><p>They reached Maria's apartment in ten minutes. She thanked Steve and went to hug Natasha before getting out of the car. The ride back to Steve's penthouse was spent in silence. Steve was still struggling to contain his anger while Natasha quietly snuggled into his chest, trying not to cry. She knew Steve was probably mad at her because he wouldn't even look at her. He only idly wrapped his arm around her and occasionally rubbed her back. <em>He had every reason to be angry. He was most likely appalled by the thought of another man touching her.<em>

Once they arrived at his floor, Steve pulled Natasha in his arms and hugged her close, inhaling her scent deeply as if to make sure she really was here with him, safe and sound.

"You're safe now, sweetheart." His voice was soft and gentle as he kissed her forehead. "I won't let anyone harm you ever again, Natasha. You have nothing to fear."

"I'm sorry, Steve... I should-"

He silenced her with a possessive kiss. _She had no need to apologize. None of it was her fault. If anyone were to blame, it would be him. He hadn't been there to protect her._ His hands cradled her face as he deepened the kiss, feeling Natasha leaned into his touch.

Steve pulled away and looked into her eyes which were filled with unshed tears, "You're mine now, Natasha. All mine." He whispered, "I don't want anything to happen to you. I really do care about you, darling."

"I know... I'm sorry, Steve."

"No, sweetheart. You don't have to say you're sorry." He said and kissed her lips again, "Where did he touch you?"

"Steve…"

"Please…" He pleaded, anguish reflected in his baby blues. Natasha never heard him beg with such desperation before.

She slowly guided his left hand to her hip and the other hand to her behind, and finally, she brought his head down to her neck where that creepy guy had put his lips. Steve felt her body tremble before she started crying again. He tightened his hold and kissed hard at her skin, hoping to erase the awful memory of the man.

"Don't cry, baby. You're safe." He promised, "I won't let anything happen to you again."

And Steve really meant it. He would protect her at all cost. Natasha was his everything now. She was all his and he intended to keep it that way. He would be the only man in her life, Steve was going to make sure of that.

He held her in his arms as she cried. After a while, Natasha began to calm down a little so Steve pulled away slightly.

"Let's go take a shower and get some rest, hmm?" He asked softly. Natasha gave a weak nod but didn't move.

Steve could see that she was still quite shaken up by everything that happened. Swooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom. Then he helped her take off her clothes before getting into the shower with her. Steve quickly cleaned them both while still being as gentle as he could. His eyes watched Natasha carefully the whole time, trying to read her expression.

When they were done, Natasha took one of his shirts from the wardrobe and put it over her naked body. She needed something that belonged to Steve to make her feel safe, to help her forget about the dreadful incident. She had never experienced this sort of thing before and it terrified her. Even with Steve's arms enveloping her in a secure embrace, Natasha still felt off.

Steve knew they were in for one hell of a long night. But he would be there by her side, no matter what.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	12. This I Promise You

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong>12: This I Promise You<strong>

Steve spent the whole night silently watching Natasha. She was tossing and turning in her sleep, occasionally whimpering for help. Each time Steve would tighten his hold on her and murmur soft words of assurance, letting her know that she was safe. And immediately, Natasha would curl up closer and snuggled into his chest.

He kept his vigilant eyes on her the entire time and made sure she knew he was there with her.

* * *

><p>Natasha felt really tired when she woke up in the morning. Her head was heavy as if it had been hit by a ton of bricks. She couldn't sleep last night. Her mind kept replaying the horrific images of what that creepy guy did to her. She was hoping it was all just a nightmare, but the memory felt too real.<p>

The only thing that chased away the awful feelings was the warmth of Steve's arms wrapping securely around her body. His presence reminded her that she was safe, and that no one could harm her.

Opening her eyes slowly, she found Steve staring back at her with his bright blue eyes. And despite the dark circles under his eyes, he gave her a kind smile in greeting.

"Morning, darling." He said, kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Morning." Natasha faked a chirpy voice, but Steve knew better.

"You don't sound fine at all, love."

"Just... nightmare."

"I know." He kissed her forehead again, "I know... something happened last night but it didn't go that far, Natasha. You're safe now so you don't need to be afraid."

She knew he was right. Nothing bad actually happened and she was safe now. But she couldn't stop herself from thinking if something did happen to her. _What if? What if things did go that far and she really was damaged? Would Steve still stay? Would he still want her? _

What happened last night made Natasha question Steve's affection towards her. True that they slept together almost every night, gave each other loving kisses, and even took turns to cook for the other. Still, she was beginning to wonder about Steve's real feelings for her, if he truly cared for her.

They hadn't exactly said those three little words yet. It was still too early in the relationship. But she needed to know that Steve wanted her, and would never leave her. Natasha couldn't ask him. She was afraid that she would lose him if she brought these questions up.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" _Avoidance. Always the easier option. _

Steve smiled fondly at the woman in his arms, fully aware of her trying to change the subject. _He would let her have this one._

"I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you."

"Oh, Steve…." She cupped his cheek and looked at him, "You don't have to worry. I'm fine, really."

"But…" He was stopped by her mouth on his. Natasha intentionally distracted him and kept kissing him until she felt his lips moving with hers. His hands held her small form tight as he let her take control of the kiss.

Pulling away slightly, she said, "I'm hungry."

"I'll make you breakfast." Steve smiled and carried her out to the kitchen. He placed her on the stool and went to prepare their meal.

The more Steve was being attentive and caring, the more Natasha felt she didn't deserve his love. She couldn't help but feeling she was no longer worthy of it all. Steve had been the only one who ever touched her that way, but now everything changed. She felt defective. And although Steve assured her it wasn't a big deal, Natasha saw something in his eyes that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She was indeed worried.

"Here you go, darling." He put the plate of scrambled eggs in front of her and then bent over the counter to peck a kiss on her lips. Natasha froze and didn't return the kiss. When he pulled away, she ducked her head and refused to meet his intense gaze.

Steve gently traced his fingers along her cheek, "You have to tell me what's bothering you, sweetheart."

"I don't want to talk about it, Steve." She replied, "I just need some time to myself to…think over this… and get over this."

"But I can help you." He offered, "If you just tell me."

But Natasha just kept quiet and played around with her food. _What was really bothering her? Well, it obviously had something to do with the bar incident._ She wanted to tell him so bad, but she didn't know where to even begin, or how he would react to it.

Steve sighed and went back to making his own breakfast. His eyes watched as Natasha silently ate hers. He knew it would take some time for Natasha to recover from last night so Steve decided to send an email to his students and the staff at the Arts Faculty saying that he would cancel the class today.

He had to be with Natasha right now. But he also knew he needed help because he couldn't get through her. It was time to initiate Plan B. The faster way to get Natasha back on her feet was to call in someone who knew her better than him.

_Clint Barton._

* * *

><p>Clint came as soon as he heard about what happened. Steve had filled him in on everything and told her about Natasha's current situation. Clint felt guilty that he had left her. He hadn't been there to protect her when she needed him to.<p>

He walked into Steve's floor expecting to get an earful from the man, but as it turned out, there wasn't even a judgment look on Steve's face. Instead he looked dejected.

"She needs you more than me." His voice was quiet as he glanced back at Natasha who was sitting in the living room. "Maybe you'll have more luck and get her to talk." Clint nodded and Steve stepped away to let the two friends talk.

Clint felt bad for the guy. It must have been really difficult for Steve because he couldn't reach out to Natasha. Steve was obviously worried. Natasha always told him everything, but this time she didn't. Knowing his friend, Clint could tell the problem was mainly about Steve.

"Hey, Nat." Clint greeted softly and sat down next to her on the couch.

The redhead looked at him, "Hey, Clint. Did Steve call you here?"

"Yeah, he told me what happened. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to—"

"It's okay, Clint." She gave him a small smile, "It's not your fault."

He took her hand in his, "How are you feeling now? Steve said you wouldn't talk to him. What's going on, Tasha?" His blue-grey eyes stared at her worryingly, "Tell me."

Natasha took a deep breath and turned to him, "I don't know if Steve will understand..." She looked down at their joined hands, "He said it was nothing… that nothing really happened...and... and I should stop thinking about it. But I can't!" She looked up again and met his eyes, "I'm scared, Clint..."

Clint coaxed her into telling him the full story and Natasha did. She told him everything that happened after he left the bar. Clint apologized again for not being there for her and Natasha forgave him, saying she didn't blame him for what happened. When Natasha finished the story, she was on the verge of crying.

"Okay, calm down, Nat." He hugged her tight, "It didn't go that far. You don't need to worry... you just have to move past it."

"But what if, Clint? What if he did..." She choked back a sob, "What if the guy did rape me? Would Steve still want me? Would he still be able to look at me and not be disgusted?"

"I see what the problem is here." Clint started, pulling away slightly, "It's not about you... or about that guy at the bar either. This is about Steve, isn't it? You still don't fully trust him?"

"I trust him, Clint."

"But not enough to tell him the truth about what's really troubling you." He pointed out, "You should talk to him, Nat. Ask him how he feels about you, about the situation. You might be surprised by his answer."

Natasha leaned into his embrace and Clint held her tighter, planting a gentle kiss on top of her head. He noticed she was feeling slightly better.

"Talk to him, Tasha." He encouraged again, "He's really worried about you."

She nodded and Clint smiled at her. _Natasha was brave. She would get through this, Clint was sure of it._ They talked more for a little while before he decided it was time for him to go and let the couple talk. Clint got up from his seat and saw Steve watching them from the kitchen, out of Natasha's line of sight.

He walked to his teacher and patted his shoulder, "Go talk to her. I cracked her open a little." Clint said, "If you need anything just call me."

"Thank you, Mr. Barton."

"You're welcome, prof."

"One more thing..." Steve continued, "If you and Natasha go out together again and you have to leave early, call me right away. I'll be there with her so things like this will never happen again."

"You got it, man."

The two shook hands and then Steve made his way to the living room to join Natasha. Looking at the couple, this was the first time Clint believed that Steve really cared about Natasha. He could now see right through his hatred for the man that Steve was genuinely concerned about Natasha's well being.

He realized right then and there that he could finally be okay with Steve dating his best friend.

* * *

><p>Steve heard every word that Natasha told Clint and quickly discovered the reason why she was reluctant to talk to him. To be honest, she got it all wrong. Then again, he understood why Natasha would think that way. Steve hadn't exactly held the record for the best boyfriend material as far as both of them were concerned.<p>

It took the two friends almost two hours to talk. _Yes, Steve was a little jealous and hurt that Natasha chose Barton over him._ But he tried to set his jealousy aside and put his girlfriend's needs above his own. If Barton was the only one who could get her to open up, so be it.

Steve silently moved towards Natasha who was now sitting alone again in the living room and sat down next to her.

"I heard what you say to Barton." He spoke up, "It did hurt me a little but it's totally understandable, considering my reputation and everything."

"Steve… I'm sorry." Natasha looked partially guilty, "I never meant it that way… I..."

He grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes, "Natasha, my darling, my love... I assure you that I'll never feel such thing that you were afraid of. I would never do that to you, to the only person I care the most."

"I'm sorry that I doubted you."

"Don't be, love. Perhaps in the past I might be lacking in showing you the affection that you wanted me to show you." He put his lips on both of her knuckles, "But from now on, I'll spend every moment that we are together to prove to you that I truly care about you." His blue eyes shone with genuine compassion as he continued, "I want and need you in my life more than you know, my dear."

She gave him the first real smile since last night and leaned her petite body against him.

"Even if it did happen, I wouldn't leave you." He promised, "I'll never do that to you, Natasha, you mean so much to me. I lo—" _Love you._ Steve paused when he realized what he was about to say. "I really care about you." He told her instead, "I can't live without you. I hope you understand that, sweetheart."

Natasha's hazel eyes were brimming with tears and she immediately pulled him down for a deep kiss. That was all she needed to hear from him. All those words to cement her trust in Steve and their relationship.

Meanwhile, Steve was trying to calm himself after he almost slipped out those three little words. _He did love Natasha._ The realization hit him hard. Even if they hadn't been together for long, he knew he was in love with her. She already held his heart in her hand and Steve would willingly give his life to her as well.

He wanted to say those words to her, but now wasn't the right time. Natasha was vulnerable and he didn't want to add more pressure by freaking her out with his confession. He would wait for the perfect moment to tell her.

For now, Steve would take a very good care of her and made sure they both get through this together.

* * *

><p>A week went by and Natasha was finally able to get over everything and moved on with her life. Of course her family had no idea what happened. Natasha thought it was better not to tell her mom and dad because they would freak out and would want to move in with her. Besides, she already made peace with it so she didn't feel the need to bring it up again.<p>

Steve proved his words by helping her through it all, giving the support she needed. The couple was also getting closer than before. They learned to understand each other better and opened up about things that bothered them.

Clint and Tony also played a big part in helping Natasha. Tony didn't know about the incident, but he could clearly notice the change in Natasha's behavior. The billionaire didn't like it when the people he cared about were sad so he would come up with new jokes and funny stories to make Natasha laugh. As for Clint, he always kept a close eye on his best friend when they were at the university, or when strangers came up to talk to her at the coffee shop. Clint would also stopped by Steve's apartment to check on Natasha because he knew she needed him and he wanted to make it up to her.

The four of them had dinner together at Steve's that night and Natasha couldn't be happier with her little 'family'. She was laughing hard watching Clint and Tony battle it out in Mario Kart and bantering like a couple of 5-year-olds. Every once in a while, she would glance at Steve who was preparing their dinner and found him looking back at her with a loving smile, causing Natasha to blush under his intense gaze. Her heart fluttered every time she remembered the amount of care and support Steve had shown her over the past week. He promised he would never leave her, that he would still love her no matter what. _Wait... love? Did she really just think that?_

Smiling to herself, Natasha couldn't deny that she was starting to fall for him. And considering the way Steve looked at her, how he touched and kissed her, she would like to think that he was in love with her too. He made her feel safe and cherished. She felt her heart beat just a little faster each time he was near her. _God! She was in love with this man. She would tell him soon, when the time was right._

But perhaps she could show him how much she appreciated all the attention he had given her. After a week without sex, Natasha would prove to Steve tonight how much she loved him and wanted to be with him.

Clint and Tony left right after helping the couple cleaning up the dishes. Natasha and Steve were lingering back in the kitchen, talking quietly and finishing up the bottle of Pinot Gris from dinner. Soon their drinking turned into a heated make-out session. Steve placed her on the kitchen counter and cupped both sides of her face to deepen the kiss. Natasha could only lean into him, her hands tangled in his golden locks as she gave into his loving embrace. She started to feel the desire igniting within her, something that she was afraid to have lost after the incident. But Steve's touch was full of love and reverence, and she wanted to lose herself in it.

"Tell me what you want from me, Natasha, and I'll give it to you." He whispered in her ear and lifted up her small body.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she breathed, "I want you, Steve."

He carried her into the bedroom and spent the night making sweet, gentle love to her. Their eyes locked as they came together in a breathless moan. Steve sealed their lips again in another passionate kiss before lying down next to her, wrapping his arms protectively around her and pulled her body closer.

Safe and sated, Natasha finally relaxed and allowed herself to the most peaceful sleep she had in a week.

* * *

><p>She decided to spend that weekend with Steve instead of going back to her parents' in Long Island. Her mom and dad were probably wondering why she hadn't come to visit again, but right now she felt rather attached to her boyfriend that it was difficult for her to leave him. Someday she would bring him home to meet her family. She had a very good feeling that they would like Steve.<p>

On Saturday morning, Natasha was the first one to wake up. She slowly untangled herself from Steve and padded into the bathroom to take a shower. When she was done, she quickly went to Steve's closet and scanned through his rack of shirts. She loved wearing his clothes, which was why she only left a few clothes at his place. Besides, Steve did say he loved seeing her in his shirts so she didn't bother bringing too many of her clothes here.

Picking out his dark blue Hugo Boss, she felt his arms circled around her waist, pulling her back against the warm body behind her.

"You steal most of my shirts. Now I've to buy new ones." He muttered, kissing her neck, "I'm pretty sure that half of my shirts are stacking somewhere inside your apartment."

"They're comfy so I won't give them back to you." She teased with a smirk that Steve couldn't resist to kiss away, "I thought you said I look good in your clothes."

"You do, love." He smiled against her skin as his hands wandered all over her body, "It always turns me on and I don't know why..."

"Because-"

"I'm easily turned on by you, I know." Steve chuckled, "Maybe you might want to consider leaving your clothes here." He sucked at her pulse point, eliciting a moan from Natasha, "Or maybe you should move in with me."

"Hmm, I don't know... I'll need to think about it."

He tightened his hold, "Well, let me rephrase that, I kinda want to force you to stay here with me."

Turning Natasha in his arms, Steve's blue eyes were pleading as he voiced the question again, "Move in with me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	13. Something Stupid

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong>13: Something Stupid<strong>

His heart was pounding fast in his chest as he waited for her answer. Natasha took her time thinking about his proposal, partly enjoying seeing the nervous look on Steve's face, and the fact that he seemed to have forgotten how to breathe. _It was a big decision._ _Living together was a huge step in their relationship._ She was concerned that they were moving things too fast. But then she recalled everything that Steve had done for her over the past week, as well as her feelings for him that only got stronger each day. _So what if they were crazy to do this now?_ They wanted to be with each other and that was all that mattered.

A playful smile appeared on her face as she gave him the answer, "Okay, Steve. I'll move in here with you." His face broke into a big smile as he lifted her up and spun her around before kissing her deeply.

Natasha smiled against his lips and pulled away a little, "I've a few conditions..." She started and Steve looked at her attentively, "I'll take one week to pack things from my apartment and during that time, we'll stay at my place."

"Okay."

"And even though we live here, I'd still want us to sleep at my apartment at least once a week." She continued, "I also love my freedom so you'll have to let me hang out with my friends whenever I want..."

Steve cut her off, "The only male friend you get to go out with is Barton. Well, I'll make an exception for Tony too, but that's it."

"No, Steve! I still get to hang out with whoever I want." She pouted when he held her tighter, "Just let me do whatever I want, okay?" Her fingers lightly ghosted over his cheekbone, "I promise I'll always ask you first to make sure you're okay with it."

He softly sighed, "Alright. But I do have the rights to call and check up on you, okay?"

"Granted."

He leaned in until their lips were brushing, "Would that be all, Miss Romanov?"

"That would be all, Mr. Rogers."

* * *

><p>The couple asked Clint and Tony to come to Natasha's apartment on Monday night so they could deliver the exciting news. Tony arrived first carrying five boxes of pizza and upon seeing some of the moving boxes scattered around the apartment, he immediately knew something was up.<p>

"Let me guess, you guys went to Vegas and got hitched." The billionaire sarcastically remarked, "Really, Steve? I should be offended you didn't even invite me, let alone choose me to be your best man."

"We didn't get married." Steve replied, rolling his eyes while Natasha just chuckled, "We're moving in together to my place."

"Huh." Tony shrugged and grabbed a slice of the pepperoni pizza, "I guess I'm not at all surprised by this." He started munching on his pizza before turning to the pair with a smirk, "Well, congratulations you guys! I'm happy for you two."

Natasha happily walked up to the man and gave him a hug, "Thank you, Tony."

"Thanks, man." Steve nodded at his best friend.

"Yeah, yeah. I think it's good for you, Natashlie." Tony's free hand gestured around her apartment, "This place is kinda small."

"Well, I'm not rich like you two."

"She'll be living with me soon, Stark." Steve defended, "Give her a break."

Tony narrowed his eyes at the blond, "You seem very proud that your girl is moving in with you, Rogers."

"Of course."

"SAY WHAT?!"

The three of them turned their heads to the voice of Clint who just walked into the apartment and undoubtedly had heard their conversation. Steve looked at him with mild surprise. _There wasn't a knock on the door, was there? How did Barton get in? Did he have a key to Natasha's apartment? Why would he have a key?!_

Natasha was first to speak as she made her way to Clint, "Steve asked me on the weekend." She told her friend, "That's why we invited you and Tony here, to tell you the news."

Clint rubbed his temple. _He was only just getting used to the idea of these two dating, for god's sake!_ "Don't you think it's too fast?" He was trying not to freak out again, "I mean, come on, Tasha... you guys have only been dating for what, a little over a month?"

"I know, Clint. But things in our relationship have been going very fast-paced anyway."

"I'm fine with you two dating but not living together!"

"Clint..."

Steve watched the two friends argue whereas Tony alternated between observing them and looking at Steve to see his reaction. _It was like a déjà vu, really._

"It doesn't change anything, Clint." Natasha tried to assure him, "Even though I'm living with Steve, I'll be staying here at least once a week."

"So you're still keeping the place?" Clint now looked slightly relieved.

"Yes I am."

He glanced briefly at Steve before fixing his gaze on Natasha again, "Alright... if you're sure." Clint offered her a soft smile. "Whatever makes my best girl happy."

"Why do you always call her your best girl, Barton?" Steve suddenly interrupted with a hard tone and marched towards them, throwing his maturity side out of the window and letting his jealousy take over. _This was the second time he heard Barton call Natasha that and there better be a damn good reason for it!_

"Steve..." Natasha placed a comforting hand on Steve's arm to calm him.

"Because she's my best girl, Rogers!" Clint retorted, "It's none of your business what nicknames I want to call her. I've known Nat long before you even met her."

"The hell it matters! She's my girlfriend!" Steve then turned to Natasha, "Why do you let him call you that? I've never heard a friend refers to his female friend in such intimate way unless—"

"We're just best friends, Steve." Natasha explained, "Yes, we've always been close but it's never more than that."

"But why do you both look like you've dated before?"

Clint scoffed at that, "You're just like everyone else. I'll tell you the same thing I told them- no, Natasha and I aren't a couple or romantically involved. Never have been and never will."

Steve eyed his girlfriend, "So, nothing ever happened between you two?"

Natasha and Clint exchanged a look then the redhead answered, "Well... we shared a drunken kiss back in high school. It was just that one time." She held Steve's gaze, "Nothing happened. Clint started giggling halfway and went on rambling about penguins and we ended up laughing like crazy for no reason."

"For the life of me, I still can't remember what I was even talking about." He chuckled at the memory, "Or what was so funny."

Steve still had a frown on his face so Natasha took his hand and squeezed it gently, "It was a long time ago, Steve. You've nothing to worry about because Clint and I are really just friends."

"What she said." Clint agreed, "Also Nat is like my sister. Us being a couple is wrong on so many levels, Rogers."

_Okay, he felt slightly better knowing that._ Deep down Steve might have never been completely accepting of how close Barton and Natasha was, but he also knew he would always be jealous of any guy who got close to his girlfriend.

He slowly nodded, "Alright then."

"That's it?!" Tony, who had been quietly watching the whole thing, finally spoke up, "Aww, I was hoping for some action! Things were more intense the last time you three had this sort of argument."

Natasha just rolled her eyes, "Stop trying to make my men fight, Tony." She sauntered over to him, "And there better be some pizza left for me."

* * *

><p>The couple was very excited for this next step in their relationship, especially Steve. They spent the week in Natasha's apartment, packing up her stuff. Steve knew he had to be careful during his stay there because unlike his penthouse, her apartment didn't allow for complete privacy. Also, some of her neighbors usually hung around in the hallway, including an old lady who lived next door to Natasha. The nice woman always spoke Russian with his girlfriend, even stopped by her place a few times this week to give the pair some of her delicious cooking.<p>

Speaking of Russian, ever since Natasha frequently slipped into her mother tongue during sex, Steve had started to pick up certain things. When she moaned those Russian words one night as she was about to reach her orgasm, he surprised her by murmuring his reply in the same language. Natasha was shocked but quickly pulled him down for a loving kiss. She began slowly teaching him Russian after that and took great pleasure in knowing it was one of the fastest ways to turn him on.

On Friday morning, Steve was preparing Natasha a breakfast in bed when he got an unexpected phone call.

"Morning, mother."

"Steven, I hope you didn't forget about tonight's gala at The Plaza." Sarah Rogers said from the other end.

"Oh shit! I completely forgot about it, mom."

"I take it you have been rather occupied by something more interesting than my gala."

"I've just been busy."

"I see." His mother didn't sound convinced, "Well, I hope you'll bring your date tonight. I really want to meet the woman who makes Steven Rogers forget about everything else, including his own mother."

"I won't be bringing anyone tonight. And why would you assume there is a woman?"

"Well, I've always been the only woman you've ever paid real attention to. So I know there must be someone because I haven't heard from you in almost a month."

"I just have a lot going on, mom." _Technically it wasn't a lie._ He sighed, "Anyway, I've to go now but I'll see you at the gala, okay?"

"Very well. See you tonight, Steven."

Steve hung up the phone and looked up to find Natasha leaning against the doorframe. He smiled fondly at the sight of her tousled hair and sleepy eyes, which was both endearing and very cute.

"Where are you going tonight?" She asked curiously.

"My mother's gala at The Plaza. I completely forgot about it."

"And why did you say you wouldn't be bringing a date?"

"Because I can't take you there with me." He replied softly, his eyes watching her reaction, "I don't want to risk anyone knowing about us by putting our relationship under the spotlight, because without doubt you'll be the center of attention the moment we step out of the car."

"I understand." Her answer surprised him. Steve was expecting her to be annoyed or disappointed but Natasha was rather calm about the whole thing. "So who will be there? Is Tony going too?"

"Yeah, he'll be there. There are also gonna be my mom's close friends, her business partners, the mayor-"

"People who are at your level, huh?"

Steve stopped what he was doing and went to her. He sensed Natasha's discomfort so he pulled her into his arms and stared into her green eyes. "Yes, they are people from high society but I don't care about that because none of them are you, the only one I want to be with."

He didn't give her a chance to reply as he sealed their lips together in a kiss that made Natasha forget about whatever she wanted to say.

"You're distracting me..."

"I want you there with me, Natasha, but we can't risk-"

"I know." She smiled in understanding, "Good luck tonight then."

"How about you invite Barton here tonight to keep you company while I'm at the gala?" He suggested, "But please stay in, alright?"

"No promises."

"Natasha…"

"Fine." She agreed with a pout, looking even more adorable. "I'll stay in with Clint."

Steve kissed her again, "Thank you, love."

* * *

><p>Natasha did invite Clint for dinner that night and the two ended up hanging out at her apartment one last time before she moved in with Steve.<p>

They were currently lounging on the couch with takeout boxes of Thai food while watching some TV show when Clint spoke up, "You seriously let him out, huh? Alone without a date?"

"Yeah, it's his mother's gala. He should be there." Natasha replied dismissively, "He couldn't bring me along because it will risk us being exposed."

"You do understand that you just let the hottest bachelor in New York out to a hoard of high society women who have been chasing after him for a decade?"

Natasha slowly let his words sink in and realized what Clint was trying to say. "He'll never cheat on me, Clint. He's loyal and a good man."

"Probably, but those women will still be all over him."

"What do you want me to do? Go over there and drag him back home? He will think that I don't trust him."

"Whatever you say, Tash." He shrugged, "I'm just saying, your boyfriend alone in that gala, no doubt he's going to attract a lot of attention."

Natasha was quiet, trying to process everything that her best friend just said. _Damn Clint for making her question her trust in Steve!_ She knew that Steve would never betray her. _But what if she came to the gala because she really 'missed' her boyfriend? Steve would be okay with it, right?_ She abruptly grabbed her phone and quickly dialed someone's number.

"What are you doing, Nat?" Clint looked at her in confusion.

"Call in for some help. We're going to that gala."

"Wait, what?! What are you—"

"Quiet!" She shushed him.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Tony, this is Natasha." She said to the person on the other line, "I'm wondering if you can help sneaking me into the gala. I want to surprise Steve."

_"What's in it for me? Besides, your boyfriend will be furious if he knew I helped you."_

"I won't say anything to him about you helping me."

"_Fine, I only agree to help because you're hot, dear. I'll have you added to the list. When you arrive at The Plaza, just tell them your name."_

"The names are Natasha Romanov and Clint Barton, okay?"

"_Yeah, yeah. See you soon_."

With that Tony hung up and Natasha turned to Clint with a mischievous grin, "You and I need to get dressed!"

* * *

><p>Steve, dressed impeccably in his black tuxedo, was talking to a group of people who mostly consisted of Sarah Rogers' business partners. Even though he put up a friendly front, Steve still kept his distance because he never really liked these people, nor he ever felt even remotely connected to them. In all honestly, he was already bored of the mainly superficial chitchats as well as the lame attempts some women kept throwing to get his attention. Steve wished he had Natasha here by his side. He wished he could tell the world that they were together. <em>God, he missed her already!<em>

He finally freed himself from the group and then met up with Tony at the bar. "I hate social event." Steve complained and ordered a glass of whiskey.

"Man, lighten up. Everyone here is excited to see you." Tony remarked, "This is only the second time you attend any high society event so of course they will be all over you."

"I hate it. This only makes me want to go back to my hibernation!"

Steve gulped down his drink and signaled the bartender for a refill while his eyes scanned around the room, looking for a way to escape. But then his gaze fell on the two people who just walked in and his jaw dropped. _What the hell?_

Tony looked up from his phone and noticed his friend acting weird, "What is it?"

"What the hell?!" Steve muttered, clearly surprised, "What is she doing here?"

"Who's here?" Tony pretended to be clueless.

"Natasha. Natasha is here, with Barton."

Tony followed Steve's gaze and immediately let out an appreciative whistle, "Wow, your girlfriend sure knows how to dress up! She looks even more gorgeous in that dress, and sexy, very sexy. I can see why you're willing to risk everything for her, I'd do the same thing if I were you."

The comment made Steve turn his head and growled at the man, "She's mine, Stark. Don't even think about it."

"Yeah, I know. She's all yours, dude."

Steve set his glass down and went straight to his girlfriend who was sporting a sly smile on her beautiful face.

"Hi, Steve." She greeted innocently.

"I thought I've made myself clear, Natasha." His voice was firm, blue eyes fixed on her. "We can't risk people finding out about us."

"I'm here as Clint's date. Not yours."

"Natasha..." Steve grunted through clenched teeth, "And what are you wearing?" He motioned to her beaded halter midnight blue gown with low neckline and placed his hand on her back only to find that it was also backless, revealing her silky smooth skin.

"We got it from our shopping last week."

Steve sighed in annoyance and turned to address Clint, "And you, Barton, what are you even doing here?"

Clint smirked at him, "Well, I do recall you saying you would find me some sponsors, prof."

Steve groaned, knowing he already lost the argument. "Alright, both of you follow me."

He led them to the bar where Tony had been watching the three of them with amusement. Natasha happily went to hug the billionaire but Steve quickly pulled her away from Tony, causing the redhead to giggle at his overprotectiveness.

"Tony, please introduce Mr. Barton to every rich man that you know and find him the sponsors he needs for his next competition." Steve said to his friend before turning to Natasha, "You and I are going home. We'll have a serious conversation about this."

"But I just arrived!" Natasha protested.

"You shouldn't have come here in the first place!" Steve shot back, "I told you we can't risk being seen together."

"It's not a big deal, Steve."

"Yes, it is. And we're leaving."

"Someone's in trouble." Tony whispered to Clint and the two laughed.

Steve glared at them and then quickly dragged Natasha out of the ballroom through the kitchen exit and called David to pick them up at the back alley. Natasha could see that Steve was a bit angry with her so she tried walking faster to match his long strides.

Once they got inside the car, he began kissing her furiously.

"Sir?" David interrupted, unsure of where to go.

"Can you just circle around the block until I tell you to head home, David? Miss Romanov and I have to discuss something first."

"Yes, sir." David put the partition up to give them some privacy.

Steve immediately turned to his girlfriend again, "What were you thinking, Natasha?" He scolded, "If someone knew about this—"

"No one will know, Steve." She replied casually and leaned back on her seat.

However Steve still wasn't willing to drop the matter, "But someone might have seen you walking in and noticed us leaving together!"

"Oh come on, Steve, live a little. You're clearly worrying over nothing."

"Of course I'm concerned, this is your future we're talking about!"

Natasha huffed in frustration, "Stop being so uptight and making a big deal out of this, will you?"

His blue eyes were raging with passion, "I would love to fuck the sass out of you."

"Oh please, like you could—"

Her words were cut short by Steve crushing their lips together in a rough kiss, their tongues immediately battling for control. He pulled her on his lap and Natasha could feel his erection through the confinement of his suit pants. Steve's hands swiftly worked on the zipper of her dress, sliding it off of her body easily and leaving Natasha in only her black panties.

Groaning at the sight, he quickly removed the offending undergarment as his lips trailed kisses down her neck before closing on her nipple and sucking hard. Natasha moaned a string of Russian words, which was like music to Steve's ears, encouraging him further. He took his time torturing her with his lips, making her whole body burn with desire. She tugged impatiently at his hair but he pulled away slightly and looked into her half-lidded eyes.

"Darling, I want to hear you promise me that you won't do anything like this ever again." He demanded, "No more surprises like this."

Natasha was panting heavily, her brain trying to make sense of his words. She cried out and arched her back as she felt him slipping two fingers inside her. "Yes... I promise, Steve..." She gasped, "I won't do it again."

"Good girl."

He kissed her passionately while his fingers continued teasing her clit, causing Natasha to let out another whimper. Her shaky hands started undoing the buttons of his shirt as Steve picked up his pace and rubbed her clit harder. She bit down on his shoulder to keep her from screaming as her walls convulsed around his fingers. Soon a warm gush of her sweet nectar covered his hand and Steve licked it clean before placing her body back on the seat only so he could get rid off his pants.

Natasha was still trying to catch her breath when Steve came crawling up on her and positioned his cock at her entrance. Their lips met again and she could taste herself on him, which only fueled her desire more.

She bucked up her hips, feeling her center gliding against his cock, "(_Please, Steve... Please... Fuck me, baby. I want you._)" She begged in Russian.

"(_Okay, darling._)" He replied sweetly and slowly pushed his hard length inside her tight wet heat. _What his girl wanted, she would get._

They gasped in each other's mouth, moaning in pleasure at the wonderful sensation of their bodies uniting. Natasha was perfect in every way that Steve believed she was truly made especially for him. He lifted her legs up and she immediately wrapped them around his waist, letting him go deeper inside her. His thrusts became harder and more desperate with each pounding of his hips. Natasha writhed under him and her body started trembling as she felt close to her orgasm.

"(_Yes, yes, Steven... Harder... Yes! OH STEVE!_)" She screamed as another wave of pleasure hit her.

"(_Yes... Come with me, love._)" He whispered, pulling back slightly before slamming back all the way inside her.

Natasha shouted and came hard, feeling Steve join her a moment later and fill her up. She clung tight to him as they both came down from the intense orgasm. He stared into her eyes and pressed their lips together again in a loving kiss.

"Please don't pull this kind of stunt again, okay, Natasha?" He murmured into the kiss.

"I promise, Steve."

"Thank you, sweetheart." He kissed her lips one more time and pulled out of her.

Once he finished putting on his pants, Steve helped Natasha with her gown. After they were both dressed, he instructed David to take them home. Natasha climbed back on his lap and snuggled close, resting her head on his chest as his hands came to wrap around her. She was asleep by the time they arrived at his building so Steve carried her up to his floor and gently put her on their bed. Then he went to get a washcloth and a bowl of warm water and began cleaning her up, being careful not to wake her. When he was done, Steve pulled the blanket over her body and spent some time watching his beautiful redhead in her sleep before settling down next to her.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	14. What Makes A Man

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong><span>14: What Makes A Man<span>**

Natasha did indeed have one of the deepest sleeps she ever had in a while. Steve was truly amazing last night and she couldn't help but smile at the memory. Burrowing herself further in the pillow with her eyes still closed, she considered going back to sleep because it was Saturday after all. But the warmth of Steve's strong arms wrapped around her was gone and Natasha didn't like it. _Where the hell was he?_

She heard the sound of pencil scraping on paper and slowly opened her eyes to find her boyfriend sitting on the armchair to her left with a sketchpad. He was drawing something and it was obviously Natasha.

The redhead frowned when she saw how much attention Steve put on his work and not her, "Steven, come back to bed." She mumbled in a husky voice.

"Stay still, darling. I'm about to finish this drawing." He replied without looking up from his sketch.

"I need you back in bed now." She insisted with her best commanding tone.

Steve met her eyes briefly before going back to his drawing, "Just one second."

"Now! Or you can sleep on the couch tonight." She threatened and immediately he dropped everything and joined her in bed, enveloping her in his arms right away.

He pecked a kiss on her lips and held her body closer, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to capture how beautiful you look while you were sleeping." He said, giving her another loving kiss.

"It's okay…" She murmured, snuggling into his chest. "But you do know that I hate waking up without your arms around me."

"I do know that, sweetheart." He softly ran his fingers through her crimson curls. "I'll try to stay in bed with you until you wake up, okay?"

Natasha smiled up at him and brought his lips down to hers again. The kiss started slow and sweet, but it soon turned more heated when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. Her hands tugged at his sweatpants, trying to pull them down as his lips continued trailing kisses down her neck and breasts. She moaned in his ear when she felt the tip of his cock grazing at her entrance.

"Natasha... I need you." Steve whispered, mouth closing in on her nipple and lightly sucking it, causing Natasha to throw her head back in pleasure.

Before things could get more intense, the bedroom door suddenly swung open, effectively startling the pair. Steve quickly pulled his pants back up and threw the blanket over Natasha's naked body, covering her with his large frame before turning to the intruder. His brows furrowed when he saw a middle-aged blonde woman with the same pair of blue eyes standing at the doorway.

"Mother?" Steve questioned with a frown, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, a mother doesn't need an excuse to visit her son." Sarah Rogers casually replied, "But I can see that you are rather occupied, so I will go and wait for you downstairs."

That said, Sarah turned around and walked out of the bedroom, leaving the shocked couple to process what just happened. Natasha wrapped the white sheet around her naked form as Steve got up from the bed and went to the closet to get them some clothes.

"That's your mom?!" Natasha promptly asked as Steve gave his shirt for her to wear.

"Yeah." He nodded sheepishly, pulling his white t-shirt down. "I had no idea she would be coming here today."

"Well, you did leave the gala early last night." His girlfriend reasoned, "Maybe she's here to check on you. Wait, does she know about us?"

Steve shook his head, "No, I haven't told her. Though now I guess she must know something is up because I had never let any woman stay here before, not to mention, sleep in my bed."

"Perhaps now it's time for me to meet her and have a proper introduction?"

"I agree. But I do know one thing, love..." He pulled her closer, looking into her beautiful green eyes, "My mom will like you as much as I do."

Natasha smiled in return and couldn't resist kissing him again. _Her boyfriend was always so sweet and charming, how could she not fall in love with him? Love._ She kept finding herself naturally repeating the word in her mind lately each time she thought of Steve and the way his baby blue eyes sparkled everytime he looked at her, or saw her smile. Staring back at the man in front of her, Natasha couldn't wipe the happy smile off of her face. _Yes, she loved him. And she was pretty sure he loved her too._

Steve interlaced their fingers together and they both took a deep breath before heading downstairs to meet Sarah. Natasha was slightly anxious to face Steve's mom because the woman did just discover about their relationship in the most awkward way. _Hopefully it wasn't too awful of a first impression and his mom didn't hate her._

"Mother?" Steve called out and Sarah turned at his voice. Her face was stoic as she regarded the young couple. "This is Natasha Romanov, my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Rogers." Natasha said and offered her hand for Sarah to shake.

She took it but remained distant, "Nice to meet you too, Natasha."

Steve instinctively wrapped his arm around Natasha's waist, as if wanting to show his mom that he would support and protect his girlfriend no matter what the elder woman thought of her. His eyes found Natasha's, giving her a little encouragement and silently telling her that he would be with her whatever the outcome was.

"So, this is why you left the gala early last night?" Sarah inquired, not missing the way her son had gone into a protective mode, "And you didn't even bother telling me."

"Sorry about last night, mother, but something came up."

"I think I saw her at the gala too. Was she the last minute guest Tony added to the list? Why didn't you introduce me to her last night?"

"Well, I... We..." Steve stuttered, glancing briefly at Natasha, "We haven't actually announced our relationship yet. We're keeping it a secret for the time being, only Tony and Natasha's best friend know about us."

"Why?" Sarah looked at the pair, "Is there something you two are hiding?"

The couple shared a nervous, panic look and Sarah immediately knew they were covering something up. "It must be something really serious."

"It's rather complicated, mother..." Steve finally replied.

"I've got all the time in the world, Steven." Sarah countered and moved to sit down on the couch, "You better start telling me everything right now, darling."

He let out a sigh, "Alright, we'll tell you everything."

His mother leaned back on her seat and gestured for the pair to start talking.

"Well, so our relationship isn't quite like what most people have..." Steve began, "It's... well, it sort of—"

"It's frowned upon in most society." Natasha chimed in, "We met at the university, but... um..."

"I'm her teacher and she's my student." Steve blurted out.

Sarah's eyes widened in surprise. _Well, she certainly didn't expect that._ When she walked in earlier on her son with a girl in his bed, she had assumed that would be the only surprise for her today. She thought Natasha was one of Steve's co-workers, or that she was also from high society, perhaps a friend of Tony. It never even occurred to Sarah that she would be Steve's student.

"This is why we don't tell anyone about our relationship." His voice brought Sarah out of her reverie.

Slowly nodding her head, she got up from her seat and turned to Natasha, "I think I need to speak privately with my son, Natasha."

Without waiting for a reply, Sarah made her way into Steve's office, knowing her son would soon follow. Steve frowned, all the while contemplating what his mother would say to him. Sarah Rogers could be tough, and Steve was concerned things might not have ended up as well as he hoped.

"You can do it, Steve." Natasha assured, squeezing his hand gently while her other hand reaching up to cup his cheek. "We can do it."

Steve kissed her deeply, "You know I'll fight my mother to be with you." He whispered against her lips, "You know that, right?"

She softly chuckled, "Don't fight her, Steve. Try to convince her of our relationship instead. Just like we did with Clint and Tony."

"I'll do my best for us, love." He vowed, kissing her again.

Steve reluctantly let go of her and walked into his office, ready to have the talk with his mother.

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><p>Sarah stood waiting for her son and at the same time, trying to process what she just heard. She could definitely see that Steve was very attached to this Natasha girl. A part of her was glad to know that he had finally found someone, but she never imagined the person would be his own student.<p>

Though in all honesty, Sarah only wanted her only son to be happy and Natasha did seem like a nice girl. She could already picture the young woman as her future daughter-in-law and the mother to her grandchildren.

"So..." Steve spoke up, closing the door behind him.

Sarah turned to face him, "I won't bother lecturing you about how inappropriate this whole thing is because I know you're going to ignore it anyway."

"You know me too well, mother." He shrugged, "I want to be with her and only her."

"It's wrong, Steve. Morally wrong." Sarah retorted, "It could end your career, and if this gets out to the press, it will destroy your life and hers! There were people who saw you two together last night, even a few of my friends were wondering who she was."

"That's why I left the gala early. I don't wanna risk the paparazzi taking pictures of us." Steve explained, "Really, mom, you don't have to worry about this. I've made sure there was no photo evidence of Natasha and I, and no one knows about us."

Sarah sighed in resignation, not completely surprised at how stubborn Steve would be. "Okay, I want you to tell me everything from the beginning."

Steve began telling his mother how it all started- the first time he met Natasha, the instant attraction, as well as his feelings for her that only got stronger with each moment they spent together. Sarah quietly sat and listened to the story, letting her son go on and on about how much he wanted to spend every minute of his life with Natasha.

When Steve finished, Sarah took a moment to watch him closely, "I still think this is wrong." She continued, "But I also want you to be happy, Steven. If Natasha is the only one who can give you that, then so be it." She kindly smiled at his relieved expression and added, "Besides, this is the first time I've ever seen you smile that much when talking about a girl."

"I'm very happy with her, mom."

Sarah walked up to her son and hugged him tightly, "So, are you really serious about this girl?"

"Mom..." Steve pulled away, smiling affectionately as he thought of Natasha. "I love her, mom." He admitted, "I really do love Natasha. I haven't said it to her yet, but that's how I feel about her."

"Then you have my blessing, Steven."

His face lit up and he gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, mother. Would you like to stay and spend some time with us?" Steve suggested, "You can get to know Natasha a little more."

Sarah agreed with a smile, "That would be lovely, dear."

* * *

><p>Steve's mom did spend the day with the couple. Sarah mostly observed Natasha, trying to determine whether or not she was good enough for her son. As it turned out, Steve was right about Natasha. Sarah already liked her, even if she only just met the young woman. She could see that Natasha genuinely cared about Steve, not his money or status. Her son's girlfriend also seemed quite mature for her age and Sarah liked that the girl was able to keep Steve in line. They were both clearly in love with each other. With the way Steve smiled and how his eyes instantly brightened whenever he looked at Natasha made Sarah believe that her son had found the one person he would spend the rest of his life with. <em>And really, who was she to deny a true love?<em>

"I will cook dinner for you guys." Sarah announced, "It's not everyday I get to sit for dinner with my son and his girlfriend."

Steve had a boyish grin on his face, "Can you make the seafood risotto? And the lobster bisque?"

"Of course, sweetheart."

The couple was helping Sarah preparing their dinner when Steve suddenly got a call from Tony who needed his help with some urgent business matters. So Steve let Natasha take over the stirring-of-the-risotto duty.

"I trust you with my favorite risotto." He told her with confidence.

"I'll try not to burn it." She joked and Steve chuckled, leaning in to kiss her lips before retreating into his office to resume his conversation with Tony.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Sarah was showing Natasha the technique to her signature seafood risotto. Natasha eagerly listened to her instructions, seeing it as a chance to win Sarah's heart and get her approval.

"I never thought it would be this easy." The young girl exclaimed, starting to feel more at ease around Steve's mom.

"Most people think it's hard to cook a perfect risotto but it's actually quite simple." Sarah replied, "So, Natasha... Can I ask you something?"

Natasha turned her attention to the woman, "Of course. Anything, Mrs. Rogers."

"I apologize if I'm being too direct but I need to know... Do you love him, Natasha?" Her voice was honest yet curious. "I realize it might still be too early in your relationship to use that word, but I just want to make sure that you won't break my son's heart."

"I won't break his heart, Mrs. Rogers." Natasha promised. _Why would she break his heart? She loved Steve!_ "I love him." She admitted out loud, lightly blushing at the fact that she just confessed her feelings for Steve to his mom.

Sarah smiled fondly at her, "That's all I need to hear."

"So, you're okay with Steve and I dating? I mean, with the difference in our social status, also the whole teacher/student thing..."

"Sweetheart, who am I to deny my son's happiness?" Sarah kindly offered, "I only want Steve to be happy and I can see that you are the reason he's smiling so much. I've never seen him looking at anyone the way he looks at you, dear. It's love, Natasha, and as long as you don't break his heart, I've nothing against you dating my son."

Natasha couldn't help but smile, "Thank you, Mrs. Rogers. I promise I won't break Steve's heart."

"You can call me Sarah, my dear." She said, hugging the younger woman, "And take a good care of him, Natasha. He needs you more than you know."

"I will do my best."

* * *

><p>Steve came out of the office just as Natasha and Sarah finished setting the table. The appetizing smell of his favorite food instantly made Steve's stomach rumble with hunger and he grinned excitedly when his eyes fell on the delicious dishes.<p>

Dinner was a lovely affair and conversations flowed easily among the three people. Steve couldn't be happier at seeing his mother and the love of his life get along very well. When Sarah told him that Natasha was the one who made the seafood risotto, Steve showed his appreciation with a loving kiss to Natasha's lips and kept on praising his girlfriend for her great effort.

Unfortunately, Sarah had to leave right after the meal because there was a company crisis on the other side of the world that required her immediate attention. She bid the couple goodbye and promised to come visit again in the near future.

Finally alone with Natasha again, Steve spoke up, "So..."

"So..." She returned with a playful grin, "I think your mom is cool."

"Right?! And she approves of us!"

"I was afraid she would hate me, or that she wouldn't want me to be with you." Natasha confessed and Steve immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Of course not. She likes you a lot." Steve confirmed, kissing her sweetly as his thumb gently traced along her cheekbone. "As much as I like you. No, wait... less than I like you, because what I feel for you can't be measured." He finished with a charming smile that he reserved only for her.

Natasha let out a hearty laugh before giving her boyfriend an affectionate look, "I like you a lot too, silly."

A flirty smile appeared on his face and Steve leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "How about we go upstairs so I can show you how much I really like you?"

She giggled and teased him further by brushing their lips together, "Only if you carry—"

Steve didn't let her finish as he easily swooped her off of her feet and carried her up to their bedroom. Natasha's hands circled around his neck, pulling his face down and kissing him passionately. He moaned into the kiss and returned it with the same intensity.

They managed to make it to the bedroom without too much trouble. With their lips still locked together, Steve set Natasha down on her feet and they quickly began undressing each other. Once they were both naked, she pushed him down on the bed and straddled him, deliberately rolling her hips so that her wet center was rubbing against his hard length. Steve groaned into the kiss, his hands settled on her hips and he pulled away to look into her eyes.

Natasha found herself gazing back into Steve's sparkling blues and suddenly she couldn't hold it anymore, "I think I'm in love with you." Her voice was soft and she was pretty sure the sound of her beating heart was louder than her words.

But Steve must have heard her confession because his eyes widened and he grew very quiet. _Why didn't he say it back? Or maybe he didn't feel the same way as she did?_ Right away Natasha felt like an idiot, thinking she had made a mistake for saying those words to him.

She looked away, disappointed. "I... Never mind. It's stupid, really... I... I'm sorry for ruining the night and-"

He immediately silenced her rambling with a passionate kiss. "I love you too, Natasha Romanov." Steve whispered between kisses, "I love you with all my heart and I was supposed to say it first." He stared into her stunning green eyes, "I've been meaning to tell you for a while now, trying to find the perfect time... I just never thought you'd say it first."

Natasha smiled and playfully bit his lower lip, "Well, you're too slow, old man."

He chuckled and kissed her again, "I love you."

Without breaking the kiss, Steve sat up and pulled Natasha closer until their bodies were pressed together. His lips reverently marked every inch of her skin, setting her body on fire. He murmured soft words of how much he loved her with each kiss and Natasha cried out when she felt his finger reached between her legs and started teasing her sensitive bud.

"Steve…" She pleaded, "Baby, please…"

"Part your legs for me, darling."

She complied, parting her legs wider for Steve to gently guide his cock into her entrance. A soft whimper escaped her lips as he filled her up completely and spread her open.

"You feel so good, Natasha..." He breathed, blue eyes burning with desire as he began a slow rhythm of moving her up and down his length. "So perfect."

Natasha shut her eyes and moaned a string of Russian words, her body shaking with pleasure.

"Open your eyes for me, sweetheart." Steve mouthed into her lips, "Look at me."

She did as he asked, opening her eyes to find Steve looking back lovingly at her. Natasha looped her arms around his neck and began to ride him, red lips parting in pure bliss as she met his every deep thrust. Steve kept his gaze on her the whole time, watching the woman he loved lose herself in him. He marveled at her beauty and how perfectly fit they were together. _Yes, he could definitely do this with Natasha for the rest of his life._

"Hold on to me, baby."

He picked up his pace and thrust harder into her, hitting all the right spot. She screamed out his name, her fingernails raking over the expanse of his back as he continued pumping his cock in and out of her. Their bodies shook as they both reached their euphoric high. Natasha came hard, shouting cries of pleasure in both English and Russian. Steve soon followed, his scream was muffled against her neck as he emptied himself inside her.

The lovers clung tight to each other as they tried to catch their breaths and slowly came down from their high. Steve pulled out of her after a while and laid Natasha down on the bed before kissing her over and over again.

"I love you, darling." He whispered sweetly, "I love you so much, Natasha, the love of my life... I love you."

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><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


	15. (His) Only Girl In The World

****Thank you for your review from the previous chapter. We're really appreciate it :)****

* * *

><p><strong>15: (His) Only Girl In The World<strong>

The next few months passed in a flurry of secret lunch dates, stolen kisses in classes and overall sneaking around campus for some make-out session or steamy sex. Steve and Natasha enjoyed the thrill of keeping their relationship a secret while still being able to act crazy around each other with the possibility of getting caught in compromised positions. It had been quite a roller-coaster ride for the couple and yet, it was by far the best times of their lives.

Natasha was always the more adventurous one. Her playful and carefree personality brought out the fun in Steve, who used to be rather uptight and more inclined to 'play it safe'. Still, he drew some boundaries over a few things if only for the purpose of ensuring no one found out about their relationship. Steve put his girlfriend's future above everything, including his own needs. And although Natasha often complained about his lack of spontaneity, she couldn't be happier to have such a considerate and loving boyfriend like Steve. Similarly, Steve adored Natasha and thanked his lucky stars everyday that he had such a wonderful woman in his life- one who wanted to be with him as much as he did with her.

Non-relationship wise, Natasha was vastly improving in her skills in Arts. One of the perks of dating the teacher was getting a private class in his art studio. Sure she might have had the unfair advantage compared to other students in her class, but Natasha couldn't care less at this point. She was about to graduate soon and not to mention, she had been 'the good student' her whole life so just this once, she figured there was nothing wrong with breaking a few rules. _You only lived once after all, right?_ Plus, Steve had a very effective method when trying to get Natasha to listen to him. It was either by kissing her senseless or fucking her vigorously, or sometimes it would be both. When she wasn't being too 'difficult', he would make love to her on the sofa of his art studio. Either way, Natasha wasn't complaining about any of it.

Meanwhile, as his tenure with the university came to an end, Steve had been looking for a new job. He did enjoy teaching but at the same time, he was looking for something that allowed him to be more involved in arts. He talked to Mrs. Chamberlin about his intention to leave after the semester ended and the Faculty Head said his absence would be a lost to the university, but she thanked him and wished him all the luck.

It was one week before her graduation that Steve told Natasha he had found a new job. They were currently cozying up next to each other on the couch in the living room and eating dinner, Natasha's attempt to recreate Steve's favorite seafood risotto, while watching _Titanic_. She was so focused on the movie that she didn't notice he had been stealing her shrimps.

"I'll be working at the new place next month, Natasha." Steve started, "They called me to confirm earlier this afternoon during lunch, which you decided to have with Barton and therefore left me alone in my office." He finished with a pout, which Natasha found incredibly adorable.

"Clint needed me there with him because he just met the girl." She tried to reason, "Trust me, I wanted to be with you too."

"I missed you."

Natasha rolled her eyes good-naturedly yet couldn't help but smile, "You say that every time I'm away from you for more than two hours."

"Because I love you so much and I want to spend all my time with you." He pressed a loving kiss to her temple, "And you're now off topic, darling."

"Okay, back to the topic. Where is your new job?" She asked excitedly, "What will you be doing?"

"I won't tell you." He gave her a playful wink, "Kinda want to keep it a surprise."

"Aww! Then you shouldn't have told me!" It was her turn to pout. "Now I really wanna know and you know me-"

"You'll tear this place apart to find any clue about my new job." Steve continued with a grin, "Yes, baby, I know you."

She smiled mischievously then lightly slapped his hand when he tried stealing a scallop from her plate, "Stop stealing my food, Stevie!"

The two engaged in a battle of forks that was soon replaced by their passionately making out. Steve pushed Natasha down on the couch and crawled on top of her, the movie completely forgotten. He began kissing her neck and sucking on the soft skin, hard enough to leave some purple marks.

Natasha moaned in approval before gently pushing him away to look into his eyes, "Did I tell you I have to attend the party on Thursday night?" She asked and immediately received another pout from Steve. "Come on, don't make that face. Nothing is going to happen."

"Who will be there with you?"

"Clint, Sam, Maria who just came back a few days ago, Bucky... and some other friends of ours."

"Lots of male friends, huh?" His tone was teasing but Natasha could see the concern in his blue eyes.

"They are all just my friends, Steve." She explained, giving him her best pleading look, "It's the last party of my college life. Please?"

Steve openly sighed, albeit still reluctant to let her go. "Fine, you can party all you want but please be careful."

She hugged him tight, "Thank you. You're the best!"

"Even if I'm fully opposed to the idea."

"Just shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am." He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her again.

* * *

><p>With her graduation day fast approaching, Natasha momentarily forgot about her curiosity with regard to Steve's new job because she was too busy freaking out over her valedictory speech.<p>

That Thursday Steve came home to find her pacing back and forth in the living room, practicing her speech and looking very much in panic. He slowly stepped closer and stood behind her, then put his hands on her shoulders and started giving her a massage.

"Why are you so tense?" He asked, kissing her neck. "If this is about your graduation speech, you've nothing to worry, love. Everything will come out naturally."

"It's easy for you to say, Steve." She sighed and leaned into his touch, "But it's good you're home early. I really want to spend some time with you before going to the party."

His hands came to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. "But I kinda want to keep you here."

"No, you can't!" Natasha whined, "We have a deal. And Clint will pick me up soon."

Turning her in his arms, Steve smiled and leaned closer until their lips were mere inches away, "Okay... at least let me kiss you until I stop missing you."

Instead of replying, Natasha pressed their lips together in a searing kiss. He lifted her up with ease and walked up to their bedroom. Soon as her body touched the bed, Steve was on top of her and began trailing kisses down her neck.

"Hey..." She shoved him playfully, but Steve just shook his head and continued his assault on her neck, eliciting a beautiful moan from her. "Are you trying to make me sore so I won't go to the party?"

He smiled against her skin, "You know me too well."

"No, Stevie, stop it." Natasha sat up and pushed him off of her, giggling at his mock hurt expression, "I've to get ready for the party."

"Fine." He huffed, kissing her one more time before releasing her from his embrace.

Natasha went to get ready while Steve made his way downstairs to the living room. Clint arrived early to pick up his best friend and so the two men were having a small talk as they waited for Natasha. Steve made sure to remind Clint to take a very good care of his girl and the other man gave his word to keep a close eye on Natasha.

The redhead came down a moment later in a short black dress with spaghetti straps, looking strikingly beautiful as usual. Steve walked up to his girlfriend and gave her a deep kiss with a promise to pick her up at the party later. Natasha pressed another lingering kiss to his lips before finally getting inside the elevator with Clint.

"I'm actually surprised that he just kissed you and let you go so easily." Clint noted, casting a curious glance in Natasha's direction.

She grinned at him, "He did spend two hours trying to make me change my mind."

He let out an amused chuckle, "Now that sounds like your boyfriend."

* * *

><p>The party was held at the rooftop of Sam's apartment building in Queens. Sam, Maria and Bucky were already there when Clint and Natasha arrived. Most of the people there knew one another, or at least had seen the other around the campus at some point. However, there were a couple of unfamiliar faces as well. They were mostly friends of Sam and Bucky, as well as few people from the Business Faculty- Maria's friends. Natasha supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised to find Lance Hunter, the guy she went on a date with some time ago who also happened to be Bucky's cousin, there at the party. At least things weren't too weird between them and Natasha could still easily talk to Lance because he didn't hold anything against her. <em>Thank goodness for that.<em>

Clint's girlfriend, Bobbi Morse was also at the party. Natasha had met her earlier in the week when the three of them had lunch together. Bobbi wasn't only pretty but also smart and very friendly, which made Natasha like her right away. Seeing as Clint was with his girlfriend, Sam took the position of being Natasha's 'bodyguard' for the night. The poor guy had a rather tough responsibility without doubt, especially because Natasha attracted attention from a lot of guys. Sam inwardly grimaced when he remembered the incident at McLaren's Bar a while back. These guys had no idea that Natasha was taken, or that her boyfriend was extremely protective of her.

This time, however, Sam found it weird that most of the guys retreated back after only a brief conversation with Natasha. He then observed her carefully and got his answer.

"Damn, even when your boyfriend isn't here, he still is here." Sam remarked as he approached her with another beer.

Natasha frowned in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

He just chuckled, "Well, take a look at your neck and you'll see what I mean."

She quickly pulled out a mirror from her purse and realized what Sam was referring to. Steve had left a small hickey on the side of her neck. She must have missed it while getting ready and because her hair was longer now, it hid the hickey pretty well.

"Damn it, Steve." Natasha could clearly picture Steve's proud grin and knew he did it on purpose. "There goes my chance to flirt with some random guys..."

Sam raised his eyebrows, "You're planning to cheat on your boyfriend?"

"Not cheating, just flirting." She clarified, "It's the last day of my college life and probably the last time I get to do something crazy!"

"Looks like you won't be able to go too crazy after all. I must say your boyfriend has really thought this through."

Natasha rolled her eyes, "Oh yeah."

Although her hope to have some innocent flirting one last time had been crushed, Natasha did enjoy the rest of the party. She had a really good time cheering for Bucky during beer-pong, bantering and laughing with Maria and Sam, and watching Clint and Bobbi dancing together. _If only Steve was here with her._ The thought of her boyfriend made Natasha walk away to some place quiet so she could call him. Steve picked up almost instantly.

"Hey, sweetheart!" He greeted chirpily, "How's the party?"

"It's great. I'm having a good time here."

"That's great!"

"Are you alright? Why do you sound so excited?"

"Tony made me drink three cups of espresso. It must be all the caffeine!"

"Okay, I'll kill him." Natasha muttered, "But can you pick me up now because I really miss you?"

"Of course, baby. I'll be there in ten minutes." Steve replied with more excitement, "I love you and I miss you too."

She couldn't help but smile, "I know. I'll see you soon."

They hung up and Natasha went back to the rooftop to say goodbye to her friends. Of course Clint was the only one who knew why she had to leave early.

"See you tomorrow, Nat." Her best friend said, giving her a hug.

When Natasha took the elevator down and walked out of the building, Steve's limo was already parked outside waiting for her. She happily jumped inside the car and into her boyfriend's arms. David closed the door for her and took the couple back to the penthouse.

"Hey you." Steve greeted when he pulled away from their passionate kiss.

"I missed you."

"Me too."

"Oh, and thank you for this!" Natasha pointed to the hickey on her neck.

His face lit up and he grinned slyly, "Did it work? Did it scare the random guys away?"

"Yes, your juvenile plan worked." She pouted, "Every guy who came up to talk to me immediately left once they saw this."

Steve laughed heartily, looking too adorable for such a grown man. Natasha took note of how cute he was. She loved seeing him happy, especially when she was the reason he could laugh like that. He was a different person compared to when they first met, yet still the same one somewhat.

"I love you..." Her voice was filled with affection as she ran her hands through his blond hair. "I never thought I would fall for anyone, then you came along."

His twinkling blue eyes stared back into her green ones. "I love you too." He kissed her again, so sweet and loving, "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Natasha."

Resting her head on his chest, they spent the rest of the ride cuddling and occasionally sharing deep, slow kisses. Natasha was half asleep when they arrived at the apartment so Steve carried her up to their floor. She mumbled a weak protest when he began undressing her, insisting she would just take a shower the next morning. But Steve ignored her and brought her to the bathroom, then gently placed her in the bathtub. After quickly taking off his own clothes, he went inside the tub and put his sleepy girlfriend on his lap before started cleaning every inch of her skin. Natasha sighed in pleasure and leaned back against his chest as she relaxed in his reverent touch. Once he was done, Steve kissed her neck and dried them both, then carried her again to the bed.

"Can you sleep with all that caffeine in your system?" Natasha asked wearily, fighting to keep her eyes open.

He smiled and caressed her face tenderly, "I'll be fine, love. You sleep now, sweetheart. Big day tomorrow."

Snuggling closer, she uttered a soft reply, "Night, Stevie."

He placed a kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight, Natasha."

* * *

><p>The morning of the graduation day, Natasha woke up to Steve carrying her downstairs and sitting her at the kitchen stool where a breakfast tray was already set on the countertop in front of her. She smiled to herself and gave her boyfriend a loving kiss, forgoing her initial complaint for being awakened so early. Steve had prepared her favorite blueberry pancakes, which he thoughtfully paired with Natasha's choice of chamomile tea. There was also a vase of white lilies.<p>

_White lilies?_ Natasha felt this was all strangely familiar and she was sure she had seen those same flowers before. And that was when it all clicked. _Those were the exact flowers Steve had given her the morning after they first slept together!_

"Do you have a thing for white lilies?" She asked bluntly as Steve was pouring himself a glass of orange juice, "I was trying to remember when I had seen these flowers before, then I recall that morning after our first night together. You also gave me white lilies..."

With a knowing smile, he walked up to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist. "I think the flowers suit you. White lilies symbolize purity."

Natasha looked up at her boyfriend, "Me? Pure?"

He fondly chuckled and pecked her lips, "Yes, you are. That's how I see you, Natasha. They can also mean 'it's heavenly to be with you', which exactly describes how I feel every moment I'm with you."

Lightly blushing at his sweet words, she gazed into Steve's loving eyes. "Well, you're my first... and I'd like to think you'll be my last. I just can't imagine myself with anyone but you."

"Neither can I." He replied honestly, "I love you more each day and you're the only one I want to be with."

Her smile widened and she kissed him hard on the lips, full of passion and love.

"Eww!" A voice suddenly interrupted and the couple broke away to find Clint standing behind them. "I was so not expecting to see you guys sucking each other's face this early in the morning!"

Natasha just grinned at him, "Good morning to you too, Clint."

"You guys better get ready. The ceremony starts in two hours." Clint continued, "Are you going to eat all those blueberry pancakes, Tasha?"

She let her best friend steal some of her pancakes and quickly finished her breakfast before heading back upstairs to take a shower. Steve already showered so he kept Clint company while they were waiting for Natasha. They left for the university separately. Steve took his limo and Natasha shared a cab with Clint so not to raise suspicion. They still needed to be discreet about their relationship after all.

Once they arrived at the main hall, Steve joined the other faculty staff whereas Natasha and Clint went to their friends for some pictures and reminiscence of their college life together. Soon all the students were asked to make their way to their assigned seats and Natasha went to the first row that was reserved for honor students. Steve smiled when he saw her, and again during Natasha's valedictory speech. He was really proud of his girlfriend. Natasha finally graduated, which meant they could stop sneaking around and really be together.

Some of Natasha's friends were having a party later that night but she decided to pass because she already celebrated on Thursday. Besides, she wanted to spend some quality time with Steve. Natasha would take him to meet her parents in Long Island this weekend and she truly hoped they would like and accept Steve the way Sarah Rogers adored her.

_Fingers crossed._

* * *

><p><strong>4 months later<strong>

Steve was in his office having a small meeting with his staff to discuss the new event at the museum. He was now working as the Director of the Guggenheim and he enjoyed every minute of it. The meeting was halfway done when his assistant, Melinda came in.

"Excuse me, sir. There's a new intern who will be joining us today." She informed Steve, "She's waiting for you outside."

"Thank you, Melinda." He replied before turning to address his colleagues, "Excuse me for a second."

Steve stepped out of his office and immediately frowned at the all-too-familiar redhead in front of him.

"Oh, hell no!" The girl swore out loud when she saw Steve standing in front of her, "Are you being serious?!"

There stood Natasha Romanov, looking equally chic and sophisticated in her white blouse, black pencil skirt, and red high heels. Steve's eyes quickly fell on her blouse, which she must have 'accidentally' left the first two buttons open, revealing a glimpse of her lacy black bra.

"What are you doing here, Natasha?" His voice was stern as he pulled her by the arm.

"I'm working here now!"

"She's the new intern I told you about, Mr. Rogers." Melinda explained.

"No, she's not." Steve looked at Natasha, "You're not going to work here, Mrs. Rogers." He then turned to his assistant again, "Please tell everyone that the meeting is adjourned for the time being. My wife and I need to talk about this job offering."

"I'm not your wife yet." Natasha countered, "We'll be getting married in two weeks."

"We'll talk about this later."

He took her hand and dragged her out of the building where David was waiting. The driver too was surprised to see her there.

"Miss Romanov." The man nodded in greeting.

"Not Miss Romanov anymore, David." Steve reminded, "I told you to start calling her Mrs. Rogers."

"Of course, sir."

Natasha pouted, "Don't call me that until I marry him, David."

"Please get inside, love. We have a lot to discuss." Steve opened the door for her and Natasha had no choice but to climb inside. Knowing his cue, David put the partition up for their privacy.

Natasha glared at her fiancé, "This is why there is a no-surprise rule! I asked you four months ago about this new job and you refused to tell me!" She pulled a face, "I really want to work here."

"You're not working here, Natasha." Steve sighed, "You're pregnant, for god's sake! I told you to stay home."

"But I don't want to." She muttered, folding her arms in protest, "And I'm only two months pregnant."

"Natasha, please..." He begged, "I only want you and our baby to be safe and healthy. So please, sweetheart, don't take this job. I can't work if I spend every second of the day worrying about you and our baby."

A fond smile slowly appeared on her face, "You love the word 'our baby', huh?"

Steve returned her smile and couldn't resist placing a tender kiss on her lips, "Yes, I do. I love saying it as much as I love telling people that I'll marry you soon and get to call you Mrs. Rogers."

"I can't wait to marry you too, Steve." Natasha softly replied, smiling against his lips. "And I can't believe your mom is able to arrange everything for us within a month."

"She's just really excited to have you as her daughter-in-law." He proudly admitted, "Your parents and Victor are also very happy and have approved of us. Barton, on the other hand..."

She chuckled at that, "I'm still amazed that you actually asked Clint's permission to marry me."

"Well, he's a big part of your life and like a brother to you. I also know how protective he is of you. In fact, your father was a lot easier to talk to than him."

"Remember his face when we told him that I'm also pregnant with our baby?"

"He almost punched me." They both let out a quiet laugh.

"Tony, however, was way too ecstatic." Steve shook his head in amusement as he recalled his friend's reaction to the news, "He's already making all kinds of plans for our baby, even though we still don't know the gender yet!"

"He will kill us if we don't pick him as godfather." Natasha mused, "But perhaps we can have both Clint and Tony as godfathers. What do you think?"

"I agree. I know they like goofing around most of the time, but I've no doubt that they will love our child as much as we love him, or her."

Natasha leaned into his body and Steve instinctively wrapped his arms around her. "We're doing the right thing, aren't we?" She asked, looking up to meet his eyes, "With all of this? There are still many possibilities and unknowns ahead..."

"We're gonna be alright, my love." He promised, "I have you and you have me. As long as we're together, we will make it." Kissing her lovingly, he whispered, "I love you so much, Natasha."

Her green eyes were sparkling with affection as she murmured back, "I love you too, Steve."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

**- Thanks to my dear friend and my proofreader and my cowriter, sleeplessinbudapest.**

**- sleeplessinbudapest is also putting this story on Ao3**

**- Please kindly leave a review.**


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